Human Weakness
by Valkyriav
Summary: Sakura thought life would be perfect now that she is married to Sasuke, but she soon realizes that the idealized Sasuke she always dreamed of is not real. Lee suddenly enters into her life and fills the holes Sasuke leaves with his long, unexplained disappearances, but confusing feelings start to develop on both sides.
1. How Things Are

**A/N:** AU from chapter 699. I apologize if I get some events incorrect. I was a big Naruto fan in my youth yet stopped reading/watching it half way through Part 2 and later on I've skimmed through a lot of the Great Shinobi War. Any recent knowledge is all due to Naruto wiki pages. I'm also going to drop honorifics because I always hated figuring out how/when to change them for developing relationships. Enjoy!

**Edit: **Fixed some grammar mistakes. Also, since I've already gotten silly flames over my couple choice I think it's important to say that rather than hiding behind the "guest reviewer" persona and sending meaningless, immature hate over something fictional, one should instead do something more positive like create fanfic/fanart of the couple they like instead. Spread the love, canon or non-canon! It's perfectly alright for others to have preferences different than your own and it doesn't mean that what you like is being threatened (especially if it's officially canon. *cough*). We ought to embrace the variety of preferences Naruto fans have, not be hostile to them.

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**Chapter 1**

**How Things Are**

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Right after the end of the Great Shinobi War, Sakura was asked out on a date by both Rock Lee and Naruto. Emotions for everyone were high; their close calls with death paired with what taste they got out of the Infinite Tsukuyomi caused many to pursue that they desired with new found confidence. Sakura politely turned down both of them for she had eyes only for one.

Three years after the Great Shinobi War Sakura married the love of her life, Sasuke Uchiha. They had only dated for a few months. In that time Naruto had moved on and found love with Hinata. Lee remained as he was, seemingly his only love being training. Despite being pardoned due to his efforts in the war, Sasuke was still scorned by many; his previous traitor status was not forgotten. After Sakura became an Uchiha she was treated with similar distaste and she tried not to let it get to her.

Kakashi stepped down as Hokage early to let Naruto take his place. After the initial celebrations, Sakura saw less and less of Naruto every day as he was always bogged down in official Hokage work. She saw Lee every once in a while; usually they would pass by and exchange a few polite, cordial words and part.

Sakura's marriage was not how she had dreamed it to be. Sasuke was thankfully no longer as dark as he once was; he would even smile on occasion, yet, he was not the sweet, passionate lover Sakura dreamed of. His words were still blunt and harsh. He was distant and talked sparingly. His romantic gestures seemed almost mechanical. Sakura always thought that with her unconditional love, given the chance, she could open up the solemn Uchiha and bring out his deeply hidden kindness and happiness. Now that this chance had been given she sees that she thought foolishly.

A few weeks into the marriage Sasuke left the village for several weeks without informing her. Sakura was distraught. She thought Sasuke had abandoned not only the village again, but their marriage. She met with Naruto to tell him of Sasuke's disappearance while tears streamed down her face. Naruto was confused. "Sasuke didn't tell you he was leaving?"

When he returned Sakura told herself she would yell at him and tell him how much he hurt her. She would demand answers for why he didn't tell her anything. When Sasuke finally returned one night Sakura instead welcomed him home with a small smile and a trembling voice. This became normal. Sasuke would disappear for long lengths of time without warning and come back as though nothing happened. Sakura finally asked him one day where he was going.

His response was short. "There are still parts of the shinobi world I haven't seen."

Sakura didn't question him further.

Even with these marital problems Sakura's heart still fluttered with every touch and glance Sasuke gave her. She told herself she was happy with what was. She was living the dream she had since childhood: to be Sasuke's wife, yet, Sakura felt an emptiness inside her. Sakura felt neglected by those she felt closest to; Naruto was too busy as Hokage and Sasuke was always traveling. Her life started to feel like the days before Naruto came back from his training with Jiraiya with both of them absent.

To distract herself from these feelings she would push herself hard while working in the hospital or on missions so when she returned home the only thing she would think about is rest rather than their quiet house with the empty spot next to her on their bed. When free from obligations she would visit Ino or her parents though she hated that one of the first questions asked by them was always "How is Sasuke doing?" She wished she knew.

* * *

When news of Sakura's wedding announcement to the infamous Sasuke Uchiha spread across Konoha both Tenten and Guy individually asked Lee how he was doing. First was Guy when Lee visited him early in the morning to train. Rather than demanding a race to the training grounds Guy kept a steady pace besides Lee in his wheelchair. "Lee, how are you doing today?" Guy was lacking his usual enthusiasm; instead he looked intently at Lee for an answer.

It was a general question but Lee understood what was implied. Lee unfurrowed his thick eyebrows, put on his nice guy grin, and gave Guy a thumbs up. "Wonderful! It seems like it will be a beautiful day to train, Guy-sensei! Thank you for asking!"

Guy chuckled, but his eyes still portrayed concern. "Of course, Lee."

When Lee met up with Tenten he could tell there was something on her mind as they visited Neji's grave to replace the flowers. While they were eating lunch afterwards Lee asked what was on her mind. "Oh, never mind me, Lee. How are you doing though?"

"Full of youth as always, Tenten!"

Unlike Guy, Tenten was pushier. "What about Sakura's wedding? She's marrying that Sasuke. Yuck."

Lee looked away from Tenten's gaze, instead to the the curry he was pushing around on his plate. "Sakura has been pining for Sasuke since we were genin. I am happy that she has finally gotten Sasuke's affection and I wish their marriage the best."

Tenten did not question him further.

Lee was invited to the wedding like the rest of the Konoha 11. Most of their sensei showed up as well along with former Hokages, family, and other people Lee did not recognize. Sakura looked like a flower in full bloom; the way her dress draped reminded him of petals of a magnificent flower. This was the happiest Lee had ever seen her. The way she beamed at Sasuke brought a lump to Lee's throat, but he made sure to continue smiling for Sakura's special day.

During the ceremony he saw a few people with looks of disapproval and disappointment due to a personal dislike of Sasuke, but thankfully no one interrupted Sakura's special day or Lee would have had a word with them. During the after party Lee congratulated the newlyweds personally before departing soon after.

After changing out of his suit Lee headed to the training grounds and trained twice as hard that day.

Lee did not see much of Sakura after her wedding. Whenever he did she was usually too busy to slow down and they exchanged only a few words. Lee saw Sasuke even less. Sakura initially seemed cheerful with a bright smile always on her face. Lee was thankful that Sasuke made her feel that way, yet, sometimes he wondered if he could have ever brought her the same happiness had things been different. As time went on the bright smile faded and her eyes dulled. It was a subtle change that she could disguise well under a smile. Sakura's eyebrows now were usually slightly furrowed, as though distressed, and she had a faraway look in her eyes. Lee wanted to fix this; he wanted to see her vibrant smile again. Lee wondered if Sasuke had anything to do with her unhappiness. The thought of him mistreating her made Lee's blood boil. His next immediate thought was to teach Sasuke a lesson, yet, Lee knew it was not his place to intrude where he could cause more harm than good. After waving to Sakura goodbye he would pause and watch as she hurried away, deeply yearning to reach out to her to help her bloom again.

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**A/N:** Please take the time to review if you can, even if you don't have anything that insightful to say. Every fanfic writer loves reviews! Thank you!


	2. Dark Haired Shinobi

**A/N:** Short chapter. I apologize if it seems rushed or sloppy. Wanted to get it done before I needed to start studying for an engineering exam I have later this week. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2**

**Dark Haired Shinobi**

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Sakura's alarm went off as soon as the first rays of sunlight filtered their way through her shaded window. In her half asleep state she rolled over towards Sasuke's side of the bed to find it cold and empty.

_That's right; Sasuke is still gone._

She took her usual morning shower, made herself breakfast in their kitchen, and headed out towards the hospital in her medical attire. She met the eyes of a few scornful villagers but she just looked away as their gazes drilled at her back. She was promoted by Tsunade as a head medical-nin a few years back due to her exceptional medical expertise, all thanks to the former Hokage herself. Most of her job was to check in on high risk patients or work in emergency care. Her job was becoming even busier since the patient numbers were steadily increasing with recent demand for Konoha shinobi. To Sakura, it was a stressful, but rewarding job to save so many lives.

Sakura spent all morning with her medic team working on a young, dark haired shinobi who came in with grievous battle wounds. They were able to stabilize him after several hours but they were dangerously close to losing him. Her team congratulated her and she thanked them all in return before cleaning herself off and going on break.

It was hard for her to not see Sasuke in that young shinobi's face as she worked on him. It caused her hands to shake so she had to put additional focus on her chakra control in order to heal him properly. What if Sasuke was out there now, alone and bleeding out without anyone to help him? Sakura knew Sasuke was extremely powerful so he could protect himself, but it was easy for things to go wrong out on the battlefield despite extreme caution. He ventured out alone, Sakura assumed, meaning he had no one to keep an eye out while he slept.

_Maybe I should ask him if he'd like me to come with one time, _Sakura thought. Yet she was doubtful he would actually want her there with him.

"Dr. Uchiha, we need you immediately!"

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the young nurse that had appeared in front of her, unnoticed. "Lead the way. What's the situation?"

Sakura and the nurse power walked at a brisk pace through the hospital's halls. Sakura prepared herself by tying up her hair. "Young male. Chuunin-level shinobi. Unconscious. Lacerations across body and heavy blood loss. We're told he might have been poisoned though this hasn't been confirmed. Also showing signs of muscle tissue damage." The nurse lead Sakura into a room with a team already working on him before she nodded and left.

Sakura caught a few glimpses of black hair behind the scrambling nurses. Her stomach sunk. She knew it was incredibly improbable that this would be her husband, but the thought still crossed her mind after her earlier thoughts. When she hastily squeezed through the team of medics her eyes widened as she was met with a very familiar face.

"L-Lee!" she gasped, horrified.

Her long-time fellow shinobi and friend was laid out on the medical table in front of her, blood seeping through hastily wrapped bandages. His flak jacket was wide open; a medic had cut through his jumpsuit to gain access to a large gash across his chest. There were smaller lacerations across his body that the other medics were pumping chakra into. Not even unconsciousness could save Lee from the pain Sakura could see clearly written on his face.

After recovering from the initial shock Sakura went straight to work. "I can take care of the wound on his chest. Make sure he doesn't lose too much blood!"

"Yes, doctor!"

The medic hovering over Lee's chest moved aside for Sakura. The wound was too wide to heal properly with chakra so Sakura picked up an available needle and skillfully sutured the gash together. She tied and snipped the surgical thread and then hastily put aside the needle to begin working on pumping as much chakra as she could into the sutured wound. The medics around her were doing the same or applying pressure to the wounds bleeding the most. When a gash was properly healed a medic would then bandage the still sensitive wound to prevent it from bursting open again.

Sakura noticed Lee was abnormally pale and cold. His pained expression had faded little by little but Sakura knew this was not a good sign; it was a sign of him weakening.

_Lee, you can pull through this, _she thought,_ I know it. Don't give up on me, dammit!_

"We have the bleeding under control, Dr. Uchiha," one of the medics declared. "The next matter is to find this unconfirmed poison! This is your expertise; please tell us what we can do to help."

Sakura didn't waste a breath. "Get an IV in this man and hot pads to warm him up. I need a bowl of water and give me plenty of space."

The medic team split. One of them placed a filled bowl beside Sakura. Using her chakra to keep it in place, she picked up a orb of water from the bowl and placed her hands over Lee's chest. The reports were not wrong; as Sakura probed Lee's cells she came across a foreign substance. With pinpoint precision she injected chakra into Lee's cells to coax out whatever toxin was inside him. Little by little she forced the toxin out of all the infected cells she could find. When it came close to the surface of Lee's skin she gave it one last tug to let it seep out of his pores. She then steadily pulled the toxin into the orb of water in her hand until it had turned a saturated purple color.

When Sakura looked up she noticed that the medics had thankfully put hot pads on Lee's sides and an IV was placed in his arm. In her concentrated state she did not notice it happen.

Sakura carefully put the orb back into the bowl and handed it to a medic. "Send this in for analysis right away!"

The medic nodded and rushed off with the bowl.

Sakura sighed in relief and wiped sweat off her brow. She looked at her medic team with a relieved smile. "The patient is now poison-free. I think we're done here. Good job, team. We saved a great shinobi today."

The medics on her team congratulated her similarly. There were proud smiles all around.

Sakura stole a glance at Lee now peacefully resting on the surgical table, although pale and gaunt. It brought back memories of when she and Tsunade helped him recover from the wounds from Gaara's attack when she was still a genin. Lee would get a bit flustered whenever she would visit or examine him during his recovery progress. Sakura gave him a small smile.

_Lee is an even stronger shinobi now than he was before. If he could survive Gaara he can survive these wounds._

Sakura look back to her team and put back on her stoic, professional face. "I think I need to sit down for a bit and recover. That took a lot of chakra out of me. As Rock Lee's primary doctor in this case, put him in a good room and keep me updated. I will check his post-surgery status when I've recovered."

With that she left the surgical room, putting Lee back in the medics' hands. She immediately walked to the break room and collapsed in an available chair.

Sakura let out a large sigh. Removing poison from a body was a very draining process. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought back to Lee's injuries. _What kind of mission did Lee go on for him to end up like that? _She would have to ask him when he awoke.

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**A/N:** As always, reviews are appreciated! :)


	3. The Promise

**A/N: **So I had enough time to hastily finish another chapter before the weekend ended and my exam studying started. So enjoy another surprise chapter!

Y'know, non-canon and crack ships I find a lot more fun than canon ones. At least it makes fanfiction a lot more fun. Each fanfic is a unique love story that builds up the relationship in new ways. It never gets old since writers create new moments between a ship that can define the relationship in different ways and create relationship dynamics. That's something that canon ships don't have since writers of canon ships follow the history and dynamics that have been put in place by the original source material. That's why I like my crack/non-canon ships. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3**

**The Promise**

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The next morning Sakura deviated from her normal routine and dropped by Yamanaka Flowers. Ino was sadly not there, but nevertheless, Sakura picked a simple daffodil, much like she did for Sasuke and Lee during the chuunin exams. She still saw it as a flower that represented strength and recovery since it survives the harsh cold to get to spring.

When she arrived at the hospital she immediately checked up on Lee's recovery progress. He was still unconscious but color had thankfully returned to his face. According to his file on the wall he had visitors yesterday while she was in other parts of the hopsital. She saw Guy and Tenten's names as expected, but she also noticed Ino's name on there as well. She did not doubt Ino's presence there since there was a large, expensive collection of exotic flowers on the desk besides Lee which could only come from Yamanaka Flowers.

_That's odd. Perhaps Ino was on the mission with him._

Sakura hesitantly placed her simple daffodil next to Ino's flowers. They dwarfed her daffodil to a comical degree. Ino's flowers made Sakura's daffodil look frail and pathetic.

_Thanks for outdoing me again, Ino-pig. _

Sakura went to work and first checked Lee's vitals; nothing was out of the ordinary. It appeared she had removed all traces of the poison. She then carefully checked the healed wounds under his bandages. None of them had split open and they looked like they were healing quite nicely, though the one on his chest would definitely leave a noticeable scar. Sakura hoped it would not bother Lee much.

She then gently probed the muscles in his arms and legs. They were inflamed.

_Lee must have opened several gates for his muscles to get like this, _Sakura thought.

While the muscles would heal on their own, Sakura decided to speed up the process. To relax and promote their healing, Sakura pumped chakra into his muscles, section by section of his body.

"There you go, Lee," she smiled. "This is insurance just in case the minute you wake up you decide you need to train. Knowing you, you'll just end up injuring yourself further. I don't want to have to drag your ass back in bed lecturing you about the importance of rest."

When Sakura was done she gave him one last glance before leaving. He now had a peaceful look on his face as though he was having a pleasant dream.

Later in the day, Sakura was approached by hospital personnel. He was an older man Sakura recognized from the analysis labs in the basement of the hospital that went by the name Sho.

"Dr. Uchiha, we have the analysis results on the poison found in patient Rock Lee's body."

Sakura perked up, eager. "Wonderful. Please give me the report."

Sho handed her the data-covered papers. "I'll give you a quick summary, but everything you would ever want to know about it is in those papers. This toxin was extracted from a pufferfish commonly found along the shore of the Land of Sound and the Land of Hot Water. Usually it's used by the ninja in those areas. It's a painful paralysis poison, but a large enough dose and with enough time it can kill a person. What you gave us was more than enough to do the job. Rock Lee was very fortunate to have your expertise available, Dr. Uchiha."

Sakura gave a polite smile. "Thank you. I'm happy that I was there for him. He saved my life in the past and it was about time I returned the favor."

"Sure," Sho chuckled. "You two close friends?"

"Not close, but we're definitely old friends. Though it's been awhile since I've said anything more to him than a simple greeting in passing. Looks like that might change soon since I'm his primary doctor in this case."

"Seems so. Wish him a speedy recovery for me, will you? I must get back to the lab," Sho said.

"Of course. As always, I appreciate the work you do. I'll be sure give the report a thorough read."

"Thank you. Have a nice day," Sho waved Sakura goodbye before he strode off.

_Poison from the either the Land of Sound or from the Land of Hot Water. That explains where Lee probably was. Whoever he battled was very intent on not letting him escape alive._

* * *

Two days after Lee's arrival at the hospital, he awoke. It was gradual; first his fingertips twitched and his eyelids fluttered before he regained full consciousness. Despite the sleep Lee's mind still felt groggy and his body weak.

Lee's mind flashed to the last thing he remembered. Ino and Tenten were carrying him away while shouting at him to stay awake while he was in agony. Then everything went black.

_Are they okay? Where am I?_

He was in a white room with all sorts of charts and papers pinned to the wall. Someone had replaced his clothes with loose clothing. His body felt sore and stiff.

_I am in the hospital._

Lee then noticed the desk beside him which had two vases of flowers on it. One was a magnificent display of a variety of different exotic colors while another was a simple daffodil. While the larger vase was most certainly the most impressive, his eyes were drawn most to the familiar daffodil. It was the signature flower Sakura used to give to him while he was recovering from the chunnin exams. She would come in and replace it every time it wilted without fail until he could leave the hospital. He remembered asking her one day why she always picked the same flower. She said it represented strength and recovery, a symbol of hope for Lee to make a speedy recovery. Lee decided that day that daffodils would join his list of favorite flowers alongside the lotus and cherry blossom.

_Did Sakura visit me? _Lee wondered. The thought that she spent time visiting him made his heart beat faster. They had not properly spoke in so long he had thought that what friendship they had must have faded.

As for the other flowers, Lee found a tag on it that had both Ino and Tenten's names on it. 'Get well soon' it simply read.

Lee sighed in relief. If the two of them send him flowers they must have been okay.

Lee suddenly grinned to himself. _Everything turned out okay. But my body feels stiff as though I have been laying here for a while. This obviously means I need to train to catch up for that lost time or I will never be able to become a jonin like Guy-sensei!_

The overly determined ninja leaped out of bed and immediately stumbled and fell. He let out a groan and clutched his side. One of the wounds had split open and a bit of blood was seeping through the gauze wrapped around his abdomen. The wound was in much better shape than it had been before but it was not completely healed.

_I overestimated my body's strength but this is nothing but a scratch. This will not deter me from my training!_

Lee slowly stood up and then carefully made his way to the door, making sure to watch his balance. When he left his room some hospital staff gave him odd looks but none of them tried to stop him so he continued on. Slowly but surely he made his way outside the back of the hospital, with his hand against the wall for support. When he found a suitable spot he lowered himself to the ground and began his push-ups.

"If I cannot do four-hundred push-ups in this state I will do four-hundred curl-ups instead!"

* * *

Sakura was eating lunch in the break room when a nurse burst into the room, panicked. "Dr. Uchiha! Your patient Rock Lee is missing from his room! I can't find him anywhere in the hospital!" she exclaimed.

Sakura dropped her lunch and hastily stood up from her table. "Oh, I have a good idea of where he is," she growled.

The nurse blinked in confusion. "Where would that be?"

Sakura must have not heard the nurse as she stormed past her.

* * *

"Twenty-five... Twenty-six..."

With each curl-up Lee's breath labored further and the time between curl-ups increased. Sweat stuck his hair to his face as he continued to struggle through his training. Despite his struggle he refused to give up.

"If I cannot do four-hundred curl-ups I will jog around the hospital one-hundred times!"

A stern voice abruptly interrupted him. "No, you're not."

When Lee came down from his twenty-seventh curl-up he found himself looking up a familiar pink-haired kunoichi. Her beautiful face was in a scowl. His eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, h-hello Sakura! How are you doing?"

"Not too happy about my patient aggravating his wounds right now."

"S-Sorry, Sakura! Though I must bear through this training so I can one day become a jonin!" Lee had to look away, ashamed, from Sakura's piercing green eyes.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "That can wait. While you're under my care you are not allowed to train until I give you permission."

"Y-Yes, Sakura!"

With that, Sakura's face softened; Lee hoped she was satisfied with his answer. "Alright then, Lee. How about we head back to your room then so I can check how you're doing? I see you opened up one of the wounds on your side. I'll need to take a look at that."

"Of course!"

Lee tried to pick himself off the ground a few times, but with each try he found himself stumbling back on the ground again. He was already weak when he woke; with the bit of training he had done he had sapped his remaining strength. On the third try he suddenly found himself swept off his feet and in Sakura's arms.

"Allow me." Sakura had a subtle look of amusement on her face that she tried to hide behind a cool, professional demeanor.

Lee was taken aback. He never expected to find himself in Sakura's arms like this. He used to fantasize about the other way around when she was unmarried, but now he realized that it was a rude thought to imagine that Sakura could not be the heroine. Not only was Sakura a jonin, she was also one of the second generation Sannin with extraordinary strength and healing abilities. She was a force not to be trifled with.

Sakura had already walked them through the doors before Lee stammered, "T-Thank you, Sakura! I apologize for the inconvenience! I promise to make it up to you in the future!"

"There's no need. This is just a part of my job after all," Sakura shrugged.

When they had returned to Lee's room Sakura carefully placed him back on the bed and wordlessly began to check his wounds. Lee searched Sakura's face with his dark eyes as she worked. Sakura was no longer the cheerful, determined woman he remembered. The Sakura he remembered was always enthusiastic about what she did while here she seemed apathetic. He could not sense the youthful energy she once radiated. Even so, he felt like he caught a glimpse of what she was when she swept him off his feet as she hid her amusement. What made her old self retreat into her depths?

_Ask her how she is doing._

Lee swallowed a lump in his throat. "Sakura... How have you been? I have not properly talked to you in ages besides the hello's on the street."

Sakura glanced up at him briefly before looking back to what she was doing: wrapping his abdomen in new gauze. "Oh, I've been well. Just busy." Yet she looked troubled as usual.

Lee's voice softened. "Are you positive about that, Sakura?"

Sakura's head jerked up and their eyes met. For a second she looked as though she had been exposed and pulled out of her shell but it did not last long; her eyes hardened and she put on a faux smile. "Of course... Why would I not be?"

"You just do not seem like normal cheerful self; that is all." Lee then hesitated. He knew it was impolite to pry, but after watching her suffer for so long he could not stop himself. "In fact, you have not seemed be your regular self for quite some time now. Even with our simple greetings on the street I can see there is something troubling you."

The fake smile Sakura had immediately disappeared from her face. Her eyebrows knitted together and her eyes began to water. "I..." her voice wavered. "It's a private matter. I'm sorry."

Lee mentally punched himself. With his comment he had upset her which was the opposite of what he wanted to do. "You need not apologize. I am the one who is sorry for prying." Lee hesitantly put a supportive hand on her shoulder. He hoped it would not offend her. "Though there is one thing I want you to always remember, Sakura: my promise. I promised to protect you until the day I die. This does not only apply on the battlefield; it also applies to your life and all its troubles. If you ever need me for anything, please tell me. I will happily drop whatever I am doing to be at your side."

Lee was not sure how much time had passed before Sakura uttered a response. "...Thank you, Lee." She hastily wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her doctor's coat. "I need to go now. I'll drop by later to check on you." With that, Sakura hastily left Lee alone in his room.

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**A/N:** As always, reviews are appreciated!


	4. His Return

**A/N: **So...wow. Anyone else read Naruto Gaiden? I thought I was being cruel to Sakura having Sasuke only visit every few weeks. Kishi once again proves that he enjoys seeing Sakura suffer since she hasn't seen Sasuke for 12 YEARS. To top that off, Sarada might not even be Sakura's. I never thought of SasuSaku as a healthy relationship, but with even with the OOCness of the ending I hoped their dynamic would have changed for the better. Apparently not. Admittedly, I'm enjoying some of the pairing shitstorm that's happened due to it though. Many insufferable SasuSaku fans were very rude to fans of other ships after the ending (NaruSaku and SasuKarin comes to mind) so these Naruto Gaiden chapters were like sweet, sweet karma. For the SasuSaku fans who remained respectful, I'm really sorry that you guys didn't get a happy family ending. Hopefully there's still time to fix things in the upcoming chapters.

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**Chapter 4**

**His Return**

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Sakura told Lee she would return later that day to check on him. She never did.

As she would reach for the door handle her chest tightened and her hand froze; she could not force herself to go through that door. Going through the door meant confronting the one person who knew of her hidden grief. Confronting Lee meant she would be out on display while his watchful eyes searched for the cracks and weaknesses in her fragile facade. Even if he were to no longer pry, Sakura knew that her every misstep would be another mental note for Lee of the weakness she was desperately hiding.

_Weakness._

The word that always stung. Weakness was what Sakura wanted so desperately to escape. She started out as nothing but a liability to Team 7. Under Tsunade's tutelage she was able to become more than just a helpless girl. She became strong, physically, but was she strong mentally and emotionally?

_No._

By looking at her experience with something as domestic as marriage, Sakura could answer that confidently. Despite being a kunoichi who dealt with death and violence every day, she could not handle the strains of a relationship. Sasuke made her facade crumble away to reveal the weak, little girl inside who was subject to his every whim. Every inconsiderate word and action was a sharp wound that even repeated offenses would not numb. Yet, she still loved him. The roller coaster of emotions made her feel human. The love and pain reminded her that she was more than just a dangerous tool to be used by the shinobi system. In a way Sakura thought this made her happy.

Sakura asked a nurse to check in on Lee for her instead before she went home.

The Uchiha house was on the eastern edge of Konoha in a district owned by richer citizens of Konoha. It was a gift given to Sasuke by Naruto for the Uchiha genocide, though officially it was given by the Konoha people. Their house was still small and only had one bedroom. What it boasted was a open yard in a village that prided itself in wasting as little space as possible by making their buildings compact. It was an large change for Sakura who had grown up in the cramped apartments in the middle of Konoha with her parents. For now the yard was empty with nothing more than grass, but one day she told herself she would create a garden.

The sun had finally set when she entered the house. Sakura first shrugged out of her white coat and untied her hair before heading to the kitchen. She dug out old rice and dumplings and ate in the darkness, with nothing more than the moon as lighting. When she was cleaning the dishes in the sink she scrubbed the dishes absentmindedly as she stared outside the window into the night, distracted by her thoughts.

_'Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!' _

That was first thing Lee had said to her after his introduction when they met during the chunin exams. Sakura rejected him on the spot without a moment's hesitation. It was a foolish promise made by an infatuated thirteen-year-old boy to a girl he had just met. Sakura expected the weird kid with the big eyebrows and bowl cut to not remember all the sappy things he said to her and move onto another girl, yet, in the Forest of Death he came to her aid because of the promise he did not forget. Years later, during the Great Shinobi War, when the two of them fought back to back in the Third Division, Lee reminded her again of his promise. Now, earlier today, Lee once again reiterated his promise to her. Sakura ended up being the one who would forget his promise rather than Lee himself.

Sakura learned that once Lee vowed to do something he would set out and do it, no matter how hard it would be. This ethic could also be plainly seen in his training regiment. If he could not do one task he told himself he would do another until he could accomplish his goal. Only then would he stop. Lee's promise to her would end at his death. Even if Lee no longer had feelings for her, Sakura was certain he would still continue his promise to her. He was one of the most genuine people she knew.

Sakura thought back to the afternoon and to Lee's dark, searching eyes that she could not fool. His large eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his mouth was in a small frown as though he was the troubled one, not her. His voice was gentle and thick with concern, but it was also hesitant, as though the question had been on his mind for a while yet he did not know how to ask.

_How long have you known, Lee? _Sakura thought as she combed a hand through her pink hair. _Do I really seem that unhappy?_

She thought to his supportive hand on her shoulder and the unwavering look in his eyes as he told her he would be there for her if she needed him.

_Do you still feel that way about me after all these years?_

Lee used to wear all of his passionate emotions on his sleeve, but with age he had developed a type of subtly and restraint that did not belong with his expected demeanor. He had not mentioned his feelings for her since after the Fourth Shinobi War, while she was unmarried. It was an odd sight to see the usually overconfident Rock Lee approach her and sheepishly ask her for a date without his usual loud declarations. Even when she turned him down he handled it well, with nothing more than a look of disappointment he attempted to hide behind a smile and then a few polite words of acceptance.

_He can't be. Not since I've been married. He probably gave up hope and moved on by now. His concern is that from a friend._

Sakura sighed. Tomorrow she would have to see him; she could not allow herself to skip her visit again. After all, she had an obligation to as his doctor.

When she finally looked down to her dishes she saw that they were now spotless; she did not know for how long they had been spotless while she still scrubbed away. With her back exposed to the kitchen, she put away the dishes.

Suddenly, the floor creaked and then a sharp point was pressed against the back of Sakura's neck. Her eyes widened. She froze in place.

A familiar voice spoke to her. "You're dead."

"S-Sasuke?" she stammered. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, threatening to break through her rib cage. Sakura dared not move until she felt the sharp sensation leave her neck. When she heard him stepping back she slowly turned around.

The Uchiha's face was shrouded in a cloak and the kunai he had pressed against her neck was in his hand. With a swift motion he put the kunai back in the case on his leg. "Sakura, If I had meant to kill you your body would be on the floor right now," he said, matter-of-fact. "You are a jonin and now an Uchiha. Many still do not like that name. You must be alert at all times."

"Y-Yes, Sasuke. I'm sorry." Sakura bowed her head in apology.

Sasuke let out a 'hmph' Sakura took as acceptance so she raised her head back up again. Sasuke removed his gear on the kitchen table-his cloak, bags, and hidden weapons. When he was done, Sakura cautiously wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his chest. "I've missed you. It's nice to have you back again," she said softly. Hopefully Sasuke couldn't feel her still rapid heartbeat. He might be disappointed further with her cowardly reaction.

Sasuke paused before he lightly returned the hug with his remaining arm.

Sakura pulled away, searching his eyes. "Will you be here tomorrow when I get off work?"

His eerie mismatched eyes stared back at her. "Maybe. I will be visiting Naruto for some time," he answered coolly.

"May I come with after work? It would be nice to have a Team 7 gathering again," Sakura asked, hopeful to spend more time with Sasuke while he was still here.

"It's for private matters that do not concern you," he stated.

"Ah." Sakura looked away from him shamefully. Thankfully in the dark Sasuke could not see her reddened face.

Sasuke then turned away and headed to their bedroom. "I'm heading to bed. Are you coming, Sakura?"

Whenever Sasuke said her name with that deep, velvet voice Sakura felt butterflies in her stomach. "Y-Yes, Sasuke."

She followed him to the bedroom. Sasuke removed his shirt with ease. It took him only a short amount of time to learn how to live with just one arm. Sakura noticed some new scars on his lean body but did not question him about them. She removed the rest of her work clothes and changed into proper sleepwear before slipping under the sheets with her husband. Sasuke adjusted himself on his back and Sakura hesitantly snuggled herself up to him. Sasuke closed his eyes without a word while Sakura found herself gazing at his resting face. It was nice to see him again after so long; she felt like she had to treasure every moment she looked at him. Yet while they lay there, half naked under the sheets with their warm bodies pressed against each other, Sakura's mind began to wander. There was something she had to ask Sasuke.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?" He was still awake.

Sakura bit her lip. "I was just wondering...when would we try to start a family?"

"...Why are you asking this now?"

"I-It's just that the elders of the village have been pushing for our generation to start families early to rebuild the population we lost in the war. Naruto and Hinata just married and have already been talking about kids. It's been over a year for us and yet we haven't talked about it even though you want to rebuild your clan."

"That was my goal many years ago but I've changed since then. Did you not notice?"

Sakura could hear the annoyance in his voice. She shrunk away from him to her side of the bed. "I'm sorry, I guess I didn't." Sasuke's eyes were still closed as though he were not interested to further conversation; he was more interested in sleeping. Even so, Sakura felt it was important to know a little bit more about Sasuke since he has continued to be a mystery to her even as his wife. Growing bold, she asked, "Then what is your goal now, Sasuke?"

There was an uncomfortable silence before Sasuke graced her with a response. "It's a private matter, for now."

Sakura turned away from Sasuke, instead looking across the room to the window. It was pointless to continue pestering him now.

Sakura wanted to be happy that he had returned to her, she truly did, but most times he still seemed to be a stranger to her, a mystery gone unsolved since their childhood. Not even marriage could help her solve the mystery that is Sasuke. For once she wanted him to trust her and speak to her about his personal matters, like she originally imagined their marriage to be like. Not only that, she wanted him to hug her, kiss her, and treasure her as the most important person in his life. She wanted to feel the warmth of his love that she fantasized about for years. She wanted him to stay with her more than a day or two every few weeks; she didn't want to still be waiting for him to come home as she did as a chunin. Perhaps it was selfish to want all these things of him; perhaps the things she desired in men were found only in fairy tales. Perhaps her and Sasuke were the reality of marriage.

_Yet..._

Just from seeing Naruto and Hinata together, from the joy on their faces to the consideration Naruto gives, Sakura can tell that their marriage is wonderful. Hinata especially looked the happiest she has ever been. This made Sakura both envious of and happy for Hinata. Sometimes she wondered what it would have been like if she was in Hinata's place instead. Naruto had loved Sakura in the past, and even at one point she had started to question if she was developing feelings for him herself, but as soon as Sasuke reentered the scene she had thrown away any inkling feelings she could have had for Naruto.

Sakura suddenly felt an unexpected pang of regret and doubt. _Perhaps I should't have married Sasuke_. This thought sickened her, that she could betray her past self that had pined for Sasuke for so many years and end up regretting it. Perhaps she was giving up on their marriage too soon, she just needed to try harder to make it work._ I made it this far with Sasuke. I can still make this work, _she thought with determination.

* * *

**A/N: **So most of this chapter was done already about a month ago but finals showed up and I had to put this fanfic on halt. I passed all my classes and now it's the summer, so now I have a lot of free time to continue working on this. ;)

Also, sorry if this fanfic is going slow right now. These last few chapters have been all about setting up the stage (which I feel is important with a time skip and a sudden relationship change) which takes a bit of time. Hopefully it should speed up soon. Thanks for bearing with.


	5. Visitation

**A/N:** Anyone have any good LeeSaku, ShinoHina or InoSaku suggestions for me check out? (God, I feel like a shipping hipster with all these non-mainstream ships) I've been kind of craving some good fanfics. Don't be shy to send me a link if you have something you think I should check out. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Visitation**

* * *

The following day Lee was visited by both Tenten and Ino. Lee had heard a warning knock on his door before the two kunoichi welcomed themselves in.

Tenten's eyes lit up as soon as she saw the conscious Lee in bed. "You're awake, Lee! About time!"

"Good to see you awake, Lee," Ino smiled politely.

Lee grinned, sitting up in bed. "Tenten! Ino! It is nice to see that the two of you have recovered!"

"Well, I wouldn't say all the way," Tenten laughed. "I still have some big bruises under my clothes and they still hurt like hell."

Ino sighed melodramatically. "It'll take a while for mine to heal up. The cuts I can handle; the blotchy purple and yellow bruises are too gross for me."

Tenten gave Ino a sideways look of reproach.

"There is no need to be negative," Lee said lightheartedly as the two kunoichi sat down on the available guest chairs next to his bed. "The two of you will still make a full recovery soon enough, I am sure!"

Tenten eyed the wrapped bandages around Lee's body. "What about you, Lee? You gave us a scare during that mission. How long will it take for you to get out of here?"

Lee paused for a second, sifting through his memory. "I do not think I was told yet, unfortunately." Lee then out a dejected sigh of his own. "All I know is that I am not allowed to train until I get permission from Sakura. Until then I am stuck here in bed with my jonin training on hold."

Both women perked up on the mention of Sakura and both opened their mouth to say something, but Ino beat Tenten to it. "Ah, so Sakura's your doctor! That explains the mystery daffodil next to my flowers. It was always a favorite pick of hers." Ino gave a smug smile. "My get-well-soon flowers has hers beat though."

An insincere smile formed on Lee's face. "Ino, while yours is very impressive I do like both equally," he said with restraint.

Tenten was less polite. "I didn't know get-well-flowers were a competition," Tenten said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ino glanced at the looks of disapproval on their faces, taken aback. "Sorry, no need to take my comment so seriously. Sakura and I have been frienemies since childhood. Being competitive over dumb things is what we do. We no longer take it seriously."

Lee's shoulders relaxed at Ino explanation. "Ah, so a friendship based on eternal rivalry similar to what Guy-sensei and Kakashi-sensei have!" he declared. "Now I fully understand! There is nothing more healthy that a good rivalry! I am happy for both you and Sakura!" Despite the sudden enthusiasm Lee suddenly felt the emptiness inside of him where his rivalry with Neji belonged. Lee hated to admit it, but he was a bit jealous of both Ino and Guy for still having their eternal rivals present in their lives.

"Yeah, sure," Ino said, fidgeting in her seat. It was clear she was not used to Lee's strange, passionate outbursts.

Tenten let out her signature sigh that was reserved for Lee and Guy's antics. "Anyway... Speaking of jonin training, you should really be promoted after that mission. We may have failed it but we wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it weren't for you, Lee."

Lee beamed. "You really think so, Tenten? I think the two of you should be promoted as well. You both did amazing."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lee," Tenten frowned, "But I got my butt kicked pretty hard. I have some weaknesses I need to overcome first."

Ino hesitantly nodded in agreement. "This mission talk reminds me of why I came here. Lee, I want to give you my heartfelt thanks. If you didn't get in between me and that sound-nin I'd be the one laying in that hospital bed instead." She then gave a wry smile. "My parents would also like to thank you. Now they don't have to pay a substitute to run Yamanaka Flowers during my shifts."

Lee gave a thumbs up and a sparkly grin. "Of course, Ino, it is not a problem. Anything for my teammates."

"Just make sure you aren't as stupid about it next time," Tenten scolded, lightly bopping him on the head with her fist.

"Y-Yes, Tenten!" Lee stuttered.

Suddenly the was another knock at the door before it opened. Everyone turned their attention to the door as a pink-haired doctor entered cautiously, a clipboard in hand.

"S-Sakura!" Lee immediately exclaimed, still rubbing his head from Tenten's hit. "Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon," Sakura responded with a simple nod.

Ino gave Sakura a small wave. "Hey, Sakura, long time no see! I was hoping I would catch you during this visit."

Sakura gave a short, courteous smile. "Oh?"

"I've decided that we need to hang out. I'm thinking this weekend. What do you say?"

"I'm working overtime this weekend," Sakura stated.

"Next weekend it is then!" Ino decided.

"You don't even know if I'm working next weekend too," Sakura retorted.

"Well, if you're working then ask for a day off. You're one of the head medic-nins here anyway, they're not going to deny your request," Ino smirked, leaning back in her chair with her feet resting on the frame of Lee's bed. "So, Sakura. I'll ask. Do you actually have work next weekend?"

Sakura shook her head, defeated.

"Good, then it's settled. My house on Saturday at noon. Anyway, how's Sasuke doing? I don't see him around often enough."

Lee noticed Sakura's eyes immediately darkened but she quickly threw on a smile to camouflage it. "Oh, he's doing well. He came back last night."

"I'm sure he was happy to see you," Ino said with a wink.

Sakura gave Ino an unamused glare. Ino returned an amused smirk. "Sorry to disrupt your dirty thoughts, Ino, but I'll need to excuse all guests while I check on my patient."

Tenten stood up. "Sorry about disrupting you from your job, Sakura. See you around, Lee."

Ino sighed in disappointment. "Alright then, Dr. Uchiha. I'll leave. Remember: next weekend."

"Ah, goodbye," Lee halfheartedly waved at them as they were ushered out of the room by Sakura. He was not too eager to be left alone in the room with Sakura. She came in already looking tense, Ino made it worse, and now he did not know if she was still uncomfortable around him for upsetting her yesterday. Sakura did not return to check up on him as she had promised yesterday so he had assumed it was due to him causing her discomfort.

Lee watched Sakura carefully as she wordlessly shifted through medical papers on a countertop against the wall, skimming through a few papers before shuffling them together and repeating. Sakura seemed to be taking her time. Did she not want to approach him? Lee felt wave of guilt wash over him.

It took a few moments more before Sakura decided to approach Lee. They made eye contact briefly before Sakura immediately shifted her attention to her clipboard. "Time for your check up, Lee. I need you to remove your shirt so I can check your wounds today."

"Of course, Sakura!"

Lee did as he was told, wincing a little from the shifting around it required. He then scooted to the edge of the bed and swung his legs off the side of the bed. Sakura placed the clipboard on his bedside table and began to gently prod the wound locations with her fingers. Lee sat up straight, stiff as a board.

"You don't have to hold your breath, Lee," Sakura said.

Lee did not realize he was holding his breath. He exhaled. "My apologizes, Sakura."

"You don't need to apologize either," Sakura said, her attention still fully on his wounds. "Just keep on breathing. That's important."

"Yes, Sakura!"

Another silence fell between them as Lee silently observed Sakura while she was distracted by his wounds. There were dark circles under her dulled eyes, and her hair was messily put together in a bun. Sakura had not slept well last night, Lee guessed.

Sakura finally spoke again after taking a step back, done with wound inspection. "Well, Lee. It looks like the areas around your wounds are swelling. While a little bit is a good thing, as it is a sign of healing, too much can slow down your recovery and cause additional tissue damage. We'll have to give you anti-inflammatory medicine along with your antibiotics. There might be some bruising around the larger gashes after a few more days but that's to be expected."

"I have experienced such bruising with other serious battle injuries. Do not worry, I know what to expect," Lee grinned. "In particular, my time spend in the hospital after my chunin exam injuries has me quite familiar with the healing process. If I may ask, how does my recovery look?"

Sakura had grabbed her clipboard and went back to staring at it. "You'll make a full recovery. Normally I would allow patients to leave after a few days with explicit instruction for a lot of bed rest and no physical exertion." Sakura briefly glanced up at Lee. "But you're a special case. Since you were poisoned it's important for you to stay a whole week so we can monitor any sudden changes in your health. There is a small possibility that some of your internal organs could be damaged from the poison, only that no signs are showing just yet. So I'd like to do daily checks to make sure that none of your internal organs have been harmed or if so, make repairs to them immediately."

Lee nodded, taking in the new information. "Ah, so Sakura, you were the one who saved my life? My sincerest gratitude! I am truly fortunate to have had your expertise available for me. I am not worried. I have the uttermost confidence that I will be able to leave here at one-hundred percent thanks to you."

The corners of Sakura's mouth faintly curved up in an amused smile. "You've always been the most optimistic patient I've had, Lee."

Lee felt a sense of triumph to see what looked like a small, yet sincere smile on her face. Lee relaxed; the atmosphere in the room no longer seemed as tense. "It is hard to be pessimistic when I have been so lucky in life. There are setbacks, yes, but as long as you push through them with enough confidence anyone can succeed."

"If you think so," Sakura responded passively. She disappeared through the door and came back a moment later with a pill in one hand and a cup of water in the other. "This is the anti-inflammatory drug. Go ahead and take it." She handed him the pill and cup. Lee nodded in thanks and then swallowed the pill with a sip of water. "So, Lee, what happened on that mission? You came here in a very critical condition."

Lee could hear the curiosity in her voice; she had been wondering about it for a while, this was not a casual question. Lee frowned. Naruto and Shikamaru had told his team that the mission they went on was classified. Information relating to it or the intel they had gathered in the Land of Sound was not permitted to be shared. "I am not permitted to speak of it."

Sakura visibly flinched. "Ah, I see," Sakura responded, her voice was thick with melancholy.

Lee did not understand why Sakura was so visibly affected by his response but it did not excuse him from upsetting her. He would not let a repeat of yesterday happen. Lee bowed his head. "My sincerest apologies, Sakura! Please believe me when I say that information on my mission is classified, so I am only permitted to share this with the Hokage or his advisor. I did not mean to offend. If it was not private information I would have otherwise happily shared it with you."

Sakura blinked in surprise, perhaps caught off guard from his apology. She looked more at ease. "It's perfectly alright, Lee. Thank you."

Lee quickly changed the subject. "So, when will I be able to resume my training? Will I be able to train a little while I am here?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "I can't say for sure. Everyone heals at a different pace. For now, no, but I promise to tell you the moment I think you're safe to do so."

Lee gave her a warm, appreciative smile. "Thank you, Sakura. I look forward to that day."

To his surprise, Sakura returned the smile. It did not look forced.

* * *

Sakura had checked Lee one more time that day. She was pleased that the tenseness between them had, for the most part, dissolved. Lee had pretended that what had happened between them the day before did not occur, or at the very least he made sure not to bring it up. She appreciated that. Originally she was afraid that after yesterday she would have had to deal with the discomfort towards him for a full week, but now she knew it would be a breeze.

Lee may not be the brightest shinobi that there ever was, but he had good perception when it came to other's feelings when he paid attention.

When Lee refused to share sensitive information with her, Sakura was shocked how much it hurt. Lee was kind enough to share his reasons for not sharing, at least, and that made her feel better. Sasuke did not do her that favor last night.

_Sasuke... please wait for me to get home, _Sakura hoped.

Sakura headed straight home after work, hoping to catch Sasuke before he left. She held her breath as she swung open their front door, hoping to see him there. Her heart sank. Both the kitchen and the living room was empty. She let out a hopeless sigh.

_Of course Sasuke didn't wait for me._

"Sakura."

Sakura spun around, her hope immediately restored. Sasuke was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, looking at her with his sharp, mismatched eyes. He was fully geared up, with weapons and armor equipped under the cloak he wore.

"Sasuke! You're still here!" Sakura's chest swelled with joy. She rushed up to him and hugged him. Sasuke returned it with his arm before Sakura pulled away. "How was your visit with Naruto?"

Sasuke's eyes lit up as he recalled their meeting. "He's still the headstrong idiot from when we were genin, but I still respect him," Sasuke responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Sakura was happy enough that he responded with that so she did not pry further. "You don't need to leave so soon. Perhaps we can eat dinner together before you go?"

"No, thanks. I really must be going now," Sasuke said, stepping around Sakura. He went over to the kitchen table and picked up a few liquid-filled vials and placed them in his pouch.

Sakura felt jealousy swirl inside of her. Sakura understood that Naruto was responsible for bringing Sasuke back to them and saving him from the darkness that was inside of him, but she felt so far below Naruto on Sasuke's list of importance, even as his wife, and it hurt. "_Please,_ Sasuke," Sakura begged.

Sasuke spared Sakura a glance. "Perhaps next time."

Sakura knew that his words meant nothing. She meant nothing to him.

Sakura lip trembled and she focused her gaze at her feet. The silence grew between them. She then heard Sasuke approach her. Suddenly his cool hand was on her chin. He abruptly pushed her chin up towards him and then kissed her. Before Sakura could process what happened, Sasuke had pulled away. He wore his rare, heart melting smirk on his face. "See you later."

He left a red-faced Sakura there, stunned and confused.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I got that written fast thanks to summer break. It's nice to do something creative again. At college I'm stuck doing engineering, which is not quite so creative. (Until you get to creating your own projects and do real world stuff, but that's for next year and beyond.) I'm feeling pretty motivated by writing so I'll probably start the next chapter immediately after some minor outlining.

As always, reviews are welcome. I promise this isn't a SasuSaku fanfic in disguise. :P


	6. With and Without

**A/N:** I'm finding I have a lot of free time spent on writing this fanfic, so here's another chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**With and Without**

* * *

Sakura's emotions were a confused mess after Sasuke had kissed her and left. One second she was sure that Sasuke did not care for her and the next she was not so sure. Perhaps she was so exhausted that she had imagined it. Sasuke seemed to always show affection at the moment Sakura was convinced that he did not love her. She did not know what was the right way to feel, but with work coming up she willed it out of her mind so she could get proper rest that night, rest she would need for the start of the coming week.

On Monday, Guy decided to visit his pupil. The elevator was readily available for his use but that was too easy for Guy. Fellow staff said that Guy had decided to take the stairs even though wheelchair bound. He skillfully flipped himself into a handstand while he held the wheelchair to his buttocks using his good leg. Guy had made it up to the third floor before he stumbled and accidentally released the wheelchair. Guy had crashed down one floor while the wheelchair crashed down all the way to the first floor, injuring two staff members and three other guests. Sakura had to treat all of them for minor injuries, Guy included. She threatened Guy to never do that again. Lee was confused when Sakura had wheeled Guy in to his room, shaking in fear.

On Tuesday, Sakura found Lee missing from his room. She stomped outside, assuming she would find him training. He was not there. On her way back she found him by a water fountain innocently refilling the vase her daffodil was in. He cautiously asked her if he was doing something wrong. She sighed in relief. She was touched he was taking tender care of her flower.

On Wednesday, Guy revisited. He seemed to have forgotten Sakura's threats and so he took the stairs up in the same fashion as before. When she was about to yell at him he showed off the makeshift straps he had incorporated to his wheelchair that kept it securely connected to his body. Sakura grudgingly accepted that. Guy found another way to cause trouble that day. When she had walked into the hallway containing Lee's room, to her horror, she saw Guy cycling away, passionately shouting about training with Lee hanging off the side of the wheelchair, desperately pleading for Guy to turn around or Sakura would be angry with him. Sakura furiously chased after them and pulled a profusely apologetic Lee out of Guy's grasp and then shouted at Guy for disrupting her patient's recovery. She banned Guy from further visits to Lee for the rest of the week. Sakura did not hear an end to Lee's sincerest apologies until the end of that day.

On Thursday, after a thorough examination, Sakura decided that Lee would be allowed to train on hospital grounds. Lee's eyes brightened and he let out an excited 'whoop!' It took only an hour for other medical staff to rush him back into the building after he had found some way to split open one of his wounds that Sakura was positive he could not reopen. Sakura rewrapped his gauze in disbelief. Lee hung his head as she told him that she would have to put limits on his training routine.

On Friday, Sakura had Lee remove his shirt and lay flat on his back while she tested a new medical jutsu on him. He had not reported any noticeable pain so far so she thought she would test out something new. She told him she would be gently prodding his internal organs with waves of chakra to find possible internal damage. The technique called for stroking one's hands across the patient's torso while gently releasing chakra. The lower Sakura got on Lee's torso, the redder his face became. Sakura always found this technique caused discomfort to her male patients; it was jokingly called 'Lover's Caress' for a reason. When she had reached the bottom of his abs, Lee suddenly clutched his chest in pain. Alarmed, Sakura redirected chakra to his heart. She located minor tissue damage she had missed initially. Immediately she pumped healing chakra into his chest. Thanks to Lee's increased heart rate she was able to locate it. Lee was too embarrassed to look her in the eyes for the rest of the day. Sakura found this humorous and laughed for the first time in forever when she retold the story to a coworker.

On Saturday, Sakura worked a fifteen-hour shift. It was what she liked to do on weekends to keep herself out of the house. She started the day off strong but with the more chakra she used up on her patients, the more fatigued she became. When it was ten o'clock at night she fell asleep at her desk station. At midnight she was awoken by Lee nudging her shoulder, asking if she was alright. She drowsily nodded, thanked Lee for waking her up just as her shift ended, and headed home.

On Sunday, Sakura took the afternoon shift. By the time it reaches ten o'clock again she found herself much more alert than the day before. One of her elder patients, who had been getting weaker as the days went on, passed away peacefully that night. Lee was once again wandering the hallways and he found her at her desk station with her face in her hands. With his seemingly infinite source of optimism, Lee found a way to cheer Sakura up by spending the rest of her shift chatting with her.

On Monday, the final day, Sakura removed Lee's stitches since he was ready to be released that day. Lee was eager to go and start up his jonin training again. Sakura felt a surprising pang of sadness when Lee thanked her and left the hospital. With all the sorrow and suffering the hospital held, Lee was like a beacon of warmth and optimism during her work shift.

The rest of the week made her miss his presence there. She enjoyed their small chats they would have every day when she checked up on him. Over the course of that week, the two of them had caught each other up on their lives since they had last properly spoken. Sakura glossed over her issues with Sasuke. It was not a topic she wanted to speak with him on. Now, this week, there was a definite emptiness in the hospital that Lee's absence created.

Friday evening, after work, Sakura paid her parents a visit. As usual, her father, Kizashi, picked her up in a bear hug as soon as she entered the apartment. Meanwhile, her mother, Mebuki, started yelling at Kizashi that he would squeeze his daughter to death if he does not let go. As usual, Sakura ended up listening to the two either squabble or banter back and forth. They asked her about Sasuke. She reluctantly told them that he was still leaving for weeks at a time. Mebuki then criticized Sasuke, as usual, with Kizashi trying to shush her. The few times that her parents had met Sasuke they were not impressed with his short answers and indifference towards them. To be fair, it would take someone as animated as themselves for them to be impressed. The two still grudgingly accepted Sasuke because Sakura loved him. That did not stop Mebuki from criticizing him though, even if Sakura still tried to paint him in a good light.

"The nerve of that man!" Mebuki would huff.

"Now, now, dear," Kizashi would shush, while looking uncomfortable. "Sasuke wouldn't be sacrificing his time away from Sakura if it wasn't something important."

Sakura would wordlessly watch them until Kizashi quieted down Mebuki. Was her father right? Or did Sasuke really not want to see her? Were his small acts of affection done just to placate her? Was that what his departing kiss was?

Sakura left her parent's apartment troubled. The people and buildings she passed were a blur as her feet went on copilot, directing her homeward.

"Good evening, Sakura!"

Sakura snapped back into reality. She stopped, blinked a few times to refocus her eyes ahead of her. Rock Lee was standing in front of her with a wide smile on his face. "Oh, it's you, Lee. Hello."

"How are you doing? I have not seen you around since Monday," Lee said, trying to make conversation.

"I'm doing okay. How are the wounds feeling?" Sakura asked.

"Great! They have all healed up nicely. Once again, thank you."

Sakura gave him a short, polite smile in response while shifting on her feet. "You're welcome. Well, have a nice night, Lee."

Lee's smile turned into a crestfallen frown. "Ah, goodnight, Sakura."

Sakura passed by him without a second thought. They would go back to their simple greetings on the street, she assumed.

Sakura did not get far. "Excuse me, Sakura! Could I have another moment?"

Sakura stopped and turned around to see that Lee paced up to her. "Yes?" Her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Lee's eyes darted nervously before he forced them to focus on her own. "I do not mean to be too forward, but would you be interested in training with me sometime? I would enjoy a jonin-level sparring partner who could teach me a little about countering genjutsu. I am have heard a lot of praise for your skills in that area. I do not have much to offer you, but perhaps I could teach you my taijutsu techniques. What do you think?" His large, black eyes openly showed his apprehension as he waited for a response.

Sakura understood why Lee was asking her. Guy was not versed in genjutsu so Lee could not ask him for assistance. Tenten's specialization was weapons and taijutsu, plus she was still a chunin. As for other jonin-level shinobi Lee might know, there was Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru, and herself. She was sure that Lee was not close to the others, and on top of that, she did not know what type of genjutsu training they had. Sakura was Lee's only option.

Even so, Sakura was unsure if she wanted to commit to something like this. While she enjoyed Lee's company in the hospital, at the moment she was more interested in hiding away at home. "I'm sorry, Lee, but I'm going to have to think about it," she admitted.

Disappointment spread across Lee's face. "Take your time," Lee said with an empathetic smile. "If you do decide to come, I usually train on the southeast training grounds; hardly anyone disturbs me there. Every day I am there starting at two in the afternoon. On Sundays Guy-sensei or Tenten joins me if you are ever interested in a group training session, but I understand if you are not."

The idea of seeing Guy again currently left a sour taste in Sakura's mouth after what he pulled at the hospital. If she saw him right now it would be hard for her to resist the satisfaction she would gain from punching him in the face. If she came, she would have to skip Sundays. "I'll keep that in mind."

Lee looked satisfied enough with her response. "I hope to see you there! Good night, Sakura!" he waved before jogging off. There was a subtle spring in his step.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you didn't mind the lightheartedness of the hospital montage. I decided those scenes did not need to be dragged out several chapters. After all, I am already coming up on chapter 7 and Lee and Sakura are _still_ getting reacquainted and more comfortable with each other. I also feel that stretching out moments and time in budding relationships is important. A lot of fanfics like to rush through a growing relationship in maybe a week or two, but that's unrealistic. I think relationships need a little bit more room to grow, with maybe small moments that don't mean much on their own, but eventually add up to mean something.

Anyway, as usual, reviews are appreciated.


	7. Saturday

**A/N: **BFF time. Fun fact: this chapter shares the same name as an old favorite LeeSaku fanfic of mine.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Saturday**

* * *

The next day, Sakura found herself inside the small Yamanaka compound. She passed by the rows and rows of beautiful flowers that lined the compound's pathways. A gentle breeze passed through, bringing the flowers' sweet scents to Sakura's nose. Sakura found it always ironic that the clan specializing in torture and espionage was so enthralled by flowers. Eventually Sakura made it to the front of Ino's house. Even if she did not wish to socialize, Sakura felt obligated to be there for her friend, especially since she was not given a choice to deny their day together. Sakura knocked. It did not take long before Ino swung open the door.

"Hey, Sakura! Glad you made it," Ino smiled. "Come on in."

Sakura removed her shoes inside and followed Ino to the living room. Ino plopped down on a sofa and motioned Sakura to join her. She sat down next to Ino. On the table Ino had prepared them two cups of tea. Sakura gratefully took one and sipped.

"So, how's Mrs. Uchiha doing?" Ino asked.

Sakura gave a small smile. "I'm doing fine, Ms. Yamanaka. How about you?"

"That's not very specific, Sakura," Ino complained. Ino decided to pry. "How's the hospital job?"

Sakura sighed. "Tiring. The days feel even longer when half way through you're already fatigued from the all the chakra usage."

Ino looked at Sakura with concern. "You know you can cut down on your hours if it's too much for you. Or you can quit all together and wait for mission deployment like the rest of us shinobi. You get a lot more free time that way."

"Free time isn't what I'm looking for now," Sakura answered, wistful. "Plus I'm really saving a lot of lives with what I'm doing now. On missions I'd be taking more lives than I'd be saving."

"I guess you're not wrong about that. What about Lee? Has he left the hospital yet?"

"He left on Monday with a full recovery." Sakura took another sip of tea.

"Great to hear!" A smirk spread across Ino's face. "So what did you think of my flowers? Much more impressive than your own, wouldn't you say, Billboard-brow?" she taunted. "No one can beat a Yamanaka's flower arrangement!"

Sakura took the bait; a scowl formed on her usually somber face. "Oh yeah, Ino-pig? At least mine was an intelligent choice with meaning rather than picking the prettiest flowers. Shows how much you actually use your brain!"

"Getting a bit sensitive over this, aren't you? Why do you care? It's not like you're married to Lee!" Ino teased. Color spread to Sakura's cheeks as she glared at Ino. Since she did not come up with a response quick enough, Ino continued. "What what was that nickname Naruto had for Lee? Ah, it was Bushy-brows! Bushy-brows and Billboard-brow, the perfect couple. Perhaps you should have married Lee instead and I could have taken Sasuke."

Sakura was silently glaring daggers at Ino.

Ino realized she had gone too far so she patted Sakura on the back. "Sorry if I got carried away there, Sakura. I like getting you all fired up since you're so serious all the time now."

"It's fine, Ino-pig," Sakura huffed, looking away.

Ino smiled in relief. "Good to hear, Billboard-brow." Ino sipped her tea thoughtfully. "So, Sakura, does Lee still, y'know, have feelings for you?"

Sakura jolted her head back to Ino, surprised at her question. "Um, I'm not sure. It's been quite a while since Lee has admitted he had feelings for me. I'd assume he would have moved on by now, especially since I'm married."

Ino nodded. "Marriage would greatly discourage any man. Him and Tenten probably grew closer after Neji died, I assume."

"Maybe."

"Oh, another thing about Lee. I used to think Lee was really weird, well, he's still _really_ weird, but I've gained some major respect for him on that mission we went on. Now I understand why you respect him so much," Ino blabbed. As always, she was such a chatterbox.

Sakura raised a questioning eyebrow. "Lee told me this mission was top secret. Shouldn't you not talk about it?"

"You're my best friend, Sakura. I trust you not to tell. But I promise to leave out all the sensitive mission details for you," Ino winked.

Sakura gave her a skeptical look, but Ino continued with her story.

"Okay, so me, Lee, and Tenten were making our way into enemy territory. Suddenly we were attacked by five enemy-nin. We were getting pummeled. We didn't expect to come across such strong resistance. We were able to take two down. But as soon as they go down, the last three nin take out these weapons dripping in what we presumed to be poison. I was able to mind control one of them for Tenten to kill, but the second my body dropped, another threw poisoned shurikens at my body right when I was transferring back. Suddenly Lee jumps out of no where and takes the hit for me. The last nins were laughing like crazy like they had just won some sort of victory. Lee's struggling to move at this point; I assume some sort of paralysis poison."

"Yes, what I extracted from Lee was in fact paralysis poison," Sakura added.

"Anyway, Tenten and I were trying to keep the two of them at bay without getting hit since they were trying to target Lee. Lee then opens several gates, like the ones from the chunin exams, and blurs past me and Tenten. He takes out one of the nins with a single blow. The last nin was tricky. No matter how fast Lee was, or the hits Tenten and I tried, we all missed him by just a hair. Lee took all the hits since I think he was getting sloppy with the poison kicking in. Lee eventually goes down. Now it's me and Tenten. I start to suspect a genjutsu, so I tell Tenten telepathically to use a dense area attack around him. Boom, I was right. The real nin was simply a foot away from the illusion." The pride leaves Ino's voice, replaced with somber one. "He retreats but we can't afford to go after him, especially with the condition Lee was in. We wrapped up Lee the best we could and I tried a bit of my healing jutsu, but I didn't know a thing about poison removal so we had to abandon the mission."

Sakura's fists clenched. "If I would have been there I could have helped."

"It's okay, Sakura. All of us survived, and that's what counts. See, if you take some time off and make yourself available for missions you can help out your friends as well when they're in danger."

"This is true," Sakura admitted.

"Great, then take some time off. Find something interesting to do in your free time that isn't moping over your dear Sasuke's important missions. At least, that's what I assume he's off doing." Ino gave Sakura a questioning look.

"I can't say," Sakura said quietly.

"Top secret, I understand," Ino nodded.

* * *

Today was the day that Lee and Tenten decided to visit Neji's grave together again. After placing their flowers the two of them sat cross-legged next to Neji's grave. Sometimes they did this as a way to spend time with Neji. By including him this way, it felt that he was still there, watching over them. It helped to temporarily fill the hole that Neji's death had created in their hearts.

After a while of peaceful reflection and silence, Tenten spoke up. "Lee, how was having Sakura treat your injuries?"

"It went well. I was lucky to have her as my doctor." His voice was calm and placid, lacking its usual overflowing enthusiasm. Neji's grave was one of the few places that Lee spoke at room volume or below. Lee paused for moment, unsure if to go on. His voice lowered. "But...I am concerned for Sakura. She looks very unhappy. Her mood especially drops every time Sasuke's name is mentioned." Lee's jaw then tightened. "I am afraid that Sasuke is mistreating her in some way."

"Lee... do you still have feelings for Sakura?"

"Of course not!" he responded quickly, fidgeting.

"I hope so, Lee," Tenten responded with an edge to her voice. "Sakura's a married woman now. You would be just setting yourself up for further disappointment. If Neji was here he would probably back me up and call you a fool."

"I know, Tenten. It would be very inappropriate for me to still have feelings for her now. This is concern coming from a friend who had promised to protect her."

"You can probably forget about that promise, Lee. I doubt she remembers it after all these years."

Lee eyed her. "I cannot do that. What kind of person would I be if I make promises that I will not keep?"

Tenten sighed. "I don't know, but I can tell you that the person you are now is very stubborn."

"Thank you, Tenten."

"That wasn't supposed to be a compliment, you dolt."

Lee smile turned upside down. "Then that is not very nice."

Tenten gave a knowing grin. "At least now you only have to deal with me being mean to you. No offense, Neji." She glanced briefly at his headstone in acknowledgement.

Lee followed her gaze to Neji's headstone. He would be perfectly fine with extra jabs at him if he could have Neji back. "Tenten, one more thing. As a warning, I have extended an invitation to Sakura to join me in training. There is always a possibility she would pick tomorrow to come, so she might join us."

Tenten nodded. "Sure. Just as a warning if you end up training alone with her and I'm not there to shut you up. Don't get too interested in her personal business and pry. No woman would appreciate that, even if she is troubled, so keep your mouth shut even if your intentions are good."

"Understood," Lee said with hesitation in his voice.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, Sakura and Lee with their strong-willed female BFFs. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	8. Day One

**A/N:** Seems like a few of you are worried that Sasuke is cheating on Sakura. All I can say to that is just keep on reading and you'll find out if that's what he's truly up to. It all will be revealed when the time is right.

Fun fact. This fanfic is named after what Kishimoto said Lee and Sakura represented, at least in the beginning: human weakness.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Day One**

* * *

When Sakura came to work on Monday, she had only been working for a few hours before one of her co-workers approached her and said that Tsunade wanted to see her in her office. Sakura wondered what Tsunade wanted with her but she assumed it was important since she wanted to speak in person.

Sakura paced to the top floor of the hopsital, where the head offices were, and knocked on Tsunade's door.

"Come in," came her voice from the other side of the door.

Sakura entered. Tsunade was sitting at her desk with her hands folded in front of her face. As usual, a bottle of sake was by her along with her piles of medical documents. Tsunade's eyes followed Sakura as she took a seat. "Lady Tsunade, you wished to see me?"

"Yes, Sakura," Tsunade answered. Her brown eyes seemed to be studying Sakura carefully; it made Sakura feel uneasy. "I hear you've been working very hard."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, for the injured who need my help."

Tsunade still stared at Sakura intently. "A noble cause. You take on as many shifts as you can and work through weekends unless you are forbidden from doing so due to working too many hours already that week. This is correct?"

"Yes," Sakura said hesitantly.

"And it is also true that you have fallen asleep on the job several times these past few weeks?"

"...I have, but it won't happen again, Lady Tsunade," Sakura promised, ashamed.

"You fell asleep on a job where the injured need you on full alert in order to treat them effectively," Tsunade said, her voice stern. "I will not have my student accidentally endanger this hospital's patients due to a lack of proper sleep. I forbid you from working full work days until further notice. You now work only until noon on weekdays. You are dismissed."

Sakura stood up from her chair and slammed her hands down on Tsunade's desk. "Lady Tsunade, please!" she protested. "I can treat any patient on autopilot if I need to be without any decline in quality; you should know that! The hospital needs me!"

Tsunade's voice rose. "I will hear none of it! You are not the only expert medical-nin here, Sakura." The former Hokage's fierce expression then turned to pity. "Unofficially, I can also tell that something has been troubling you for quite some time. You are lacking in your typical enthusiasm. I will not question what is wrong because it's your private business. Go home, get some rest, and find a solution to your troubles so it will not affect you here at work."

The student and teacher glared at each other in silence, neither budging.

Sakura eventually backed down after what felt like an eternity. "Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sakura submitted.

Tsunade relaxed in her chair. A subtle smile spread on her lips. "Don't worry, Sakura. Since you'll now be available for missions once again you won't be bored for long."

Sakura left Tsunade's office with a scowl.

* * *

Sakura did not come to practice Sunday. She did not come Monday either, or Tuesday. At first Lee thought if it was due to her work schedule; Sakura seemed to work as often and as long as she could. When Lee ran into her again on Wednesday, she briefly mentioned that Tsunade had cut down on her hours, so Sakura now only worked until noon. As Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday passed, Lee knew now that her absence was not work related, so she either had other plans or was not interested in training with him. While Lee was disappointed, it was certainly acceptable if she did not wish to join him. Even though Lee loved to have a sparring partner, he still could train effectively by himself.

_Four-hundred sixty-five. Four-hundred sixty-six. Four-hundred sixty-seven._

Lee continued punching the stump in front of him. The steady thump of his fists against the wood was soothing and familiar. He wondered what Sakura was doing now. Was she with Sasuke? If so, was she alright?

_Of course she is,_ Lee tried to assure himself. _Sakura is a strong kunoichi. She would not let anyone push her around...except for Sasuke, perhaps._

The next punch he threw splintered the wood. It did not faze him. He continued his steady punches into the stump.

"Lee?"

Lee's punches ceased and his head jolted towards the sound of that familiar voice. Sakura was several feet away, looking at him. She looked a bit uncomfortable, or perhaps, embarrassed. Lee turned to her and a wide smile spread across his face. He wiped the sweat off his brow. "Good afternoon, Sakura!"

She hesitantly smiled back while shifting on her feet. "Hi, Lee. Sorry that I haven't shown up at all this week. After putting some thought into it I decided I needed to find something to do outside of the house. I'll help you with your training."

"R-Really?" Lee's eyes widened, his voice giddy. "That is fantastic! Thank you!"

"So how shall we begin?" Sakura was getting down to business.

Lee rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I was hoping you might know how to start since I know so little about genjutsu. Perhaps we could first start off with a simple sparring match to warm up?"

"Sure thing," Sakura said. She stepped back a few feet before readying herself in a fighting pose, ready to go right then and there.

"One second. I must quickly stretch my legs."

Sakura relaxed from her pose. "Oh?"

Lee nodded. "I may have fully recovered from my chunin exam injuries, but I find that both my left arm and leg get a bit stiff if I do not stretch them out properly before a match."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"You need not be sorry," Lee said nonchalantly. "It is a small price to pay to have my shinobi career back." Lee bent his right knee and stretched out the left leg before alternating. At the same time he stretched out his arm muscles. "I hope I am not wasting your time, Sakura. I just wish to be at my best when we spar for the first time. I hope I will not disappoint you." Lee smiled at her, self-assured.

"Ha, so the taijutsu specialist is worried in a taijutsu-only match." Sakura was amused by this. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in my abilities."

"Of course. I saw you fight in the war and that was before you were a jonin." With his stretches done, Lee readied himself. He placed a hand out in front of him, with the other folded behind his back, his signature fighting pose.

Sakura readied herself as well. "That was with ninjutsu abilities. I may also be talented with taijutsu but what I'm famous for is the chakra I put behind my punches, which is not allowed in a sparring match like this."

"You do not give yourself enough credit, Sakura," Lee said.

"Perhaps."

"Shall we begin?"

Sakura nodded.

"Then here I come!"

Lee immediately closed the distance between them. He threw a few cautious punches to test her. Sakura weaved around them with ease before countering with her own fists. Lee ducked under them and swept a leg at her feet to trip her. She leaped over his leg and then landed a hit on Lee's shoulder causing him to stumble back.

"Lee, I can already tell that you're holding back. Don't take me lightly."

"My apologies. I will not let it happen again."

Lee charged at her again. With increased speed and power, Lee released a string of combos involving kicks and punches. Sakura blocked until she saw an opening and jabbed at Lee's side. Before it could hit him, Lee grabbed her arm and used her momentum to flip her on her back.

"Is that better?" Lee coyly asked.

Sakura rolled away and got back up on her feet. "Much better."

The two shinobi both picked up the pace. Their attacks became more fast and aggressive. Lee noticed that the additional weight on his legs would cause Sakura to stumble when they hit so he increased the number of kicks. Sakura favored her fists, and by keeping her legs firmly on the ground she was more stable and thus she did not have to commit more time to her moves. Lee was good with his legs but when the momentum of his kicks took control of his body, he was at their mercy. Lee was a high risk, high reward fighter; Sakura was the opposite, and it showed in their match. He was on the offensive while she was on the defensive; Sakura would bide her time until there was a safe time to throw in a punch. While Lee was faster than Sakura, his kicks took a few extra milliseconds to pull off, and some would consider his moves flashy. Sakura's punches were short and efficient; they were not pretty, but they were effective.

Sakura ended up taking most of the blows due to being the slower one, even without chakra-enhanced muscle movements. Sakura was able to feint a few attacks to land a solid blow on Lee a moment later, but most of her hits on Lee were grazes. Lee knew if she had put chakra into her attacks, any graze could still be deadly. After the first few feints Lee watched her attacks much more closely. She would usually feint with her left fist using something uncharacteristically flashy to distract him and then bring in her dominant right hand for a quick, sharp punch. Once Lee saw through her feints he no longer took any solid hits.

Lee darted around her, back flipped over her, and threw all of his weight onto a kick directed to her shoulder. To his surprise, Sakura caught it from behind and redirected him to crash on the ground by her side, but then Lee quickly hooked his other leg around her waist and instead flipped her roughly to the ground before recovering back to his feet, uninjured, then resumed his fighting position.

Sakura's wheezed as she rolled to her back. When Lee saw she did not immediately get up, he dropped his fighting pose and rushed up to her, alarmed. "Sakura! Are you okay?"

Sakura took in a deep breath, savoring it, before letting it out slowly. "Wow, you really knocked the breath out of me there," she laughed.

Lee offered her a hand to help her up with his eyes full of guilt. "I am so sorry! I did not mean to hurt you like that!"

Sakura took it, and Lee easily pulled her up on her feet. "It's perfectly alright," Sakura said, dusting herself off. "I told you not to hold back after all."

Despite Sakura easily accepting his apology, Lee still looked guilt-ridden. "This is true," he admitted.

Sakura smiled up at him. "That was a great move you pulled off there. I wasn't expecting that at all. And wow, your moves were lightning fast; I could barely keep up. It's one thing to watch them from a far, but up close you come to understand how quick you really are."

_Sakura's laugh looked real, and her smile too, _Lee thought.

Lee grinned back at her. "Thank you! You were also great, Sakura. Even though I was faster you were able to still find a way to land a few hits on me that could have been deadly if you put chakra behind it."

"True, but I could tell by your fighting style that you weren't trying to be cautious. I'm sure you could do even better if you were under pressure."

"Maybe so," Lee responded. "I am just glad that you find my skills impressive!" Lee gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course. I'd hope that a taijutsu-only shinobi would have impressive taijutsu skills. Shall we move onto the genjutsu stuff? I was able to think of some things to go over during our match."

Lee eagerly nodded. "I am ready when you are!"

"Great." Sakura sat down against a tree and motioned for Lee to join her. "We can sit down and rest for a little bit in the shade while I first go over the basics. In order to combat genjutsu, you have to first understand it."

Lee was not worn out at all, but he still politely sat beside her. "This makes sense."

"So, Lee, what do you know about genjutsu?"

Lee tapped his chin, pondering. "Well...Guy-sensei and the rest of my team never encountered many genjutsu opponents, and when we did Guy-sensei was able to break it, though I cannot rely on Guy-sensei any longer. I do know that genjutsu is done similarly to ninjutsu with hand signs and chakra usage, but illusions are created instead of something real. Genjutsu controls some or even all of your senses. If you can realize what exactly the genjutsu is, it can sometimes be easily broken if it is a low level genjutsu, but if you do not know and it is a higher level genjutsu, you can be stuck."

"That's correct. Genjutsu is when a shinobi controls the chakra flow of their opponent's cerebral nervous system, thus affecting their five senses. Some genjutsu you can break out of if you realize what exactly it's doing. Do you know how Guy-sensei would break genjutsu?"

"I believe he mentioned it was through a technique called genjutsu dissipation, though I do not remember how to use the technique. Since Guy-sensei does not know genjutsu he could not train us."

Sakura nodded in understanding. "Only a very few talented individuals can perform genjutsu. It's something that's hard to train against unless you're lucky enough to know a user. You're also right that it's called genjutsu dissipation. What you must do is stop the chakra flow in your body and then apply an even stronger power to disrupt the flow of the genjutsu user's power. Simply put, it's a battle of chakra strength inside your own body. If you cannot break it on your own, an ally can send a surge of chakra into you instead."

"Are the other methods?" Lee asked.

"A few. For those of us who do not have clan eye techniques, the only other method is through intense physical pain. If you can't break a genjutsu on your own and you have no other choice, you should either take a kunai and stab it into one of your limbs or break a finger," Sakura said grimly. "Twisting it is also recommended to cause additional pain. The pain will cause your body's chakra to go wild and it's sometimes strong enough to fix your chakra flow if the first technique fails you, but it can also fail and now you have a pointless, serious injury that will hinder your battle further."

Lee gulped. "I will make sure to only use that in a worst case scenario."

"I hope so." Sakura then paused, thinking, before continuing. "There is maybe one another way deal with genjutsu, but it's not something that can be trained for, at least not easily. I can do this with some genjutsu, and it's more of an innate talent or intuition. This does not break a genjutsu but I can usually sense when one is being used, even if I have no reason to suspect one nor do I see anyone use one. I can feel that something is very off or unnatural; I assume it's because I'm hypersensitive when it comes to my chakra flow. When I feel this way I use the genjutsu dissipation technique just in case."

"That is amazing you have that ability!" Lee said with awe, but then his tone of voice lost some of its optimism. "Unfortunately, I do not think I have this talent."

"That's okay," Sakura assured. "Most people don't. Your best bet is either realizing what exactly the genjutsu is, and then it hopefully breaks for you automatically, or the genjutsu dissipation technique." Sakura looked at Lee with uncertainty. "Though about that technique... I know you have no ninjutsu or genjutsu talent. Yes, you can augment your attacks with chakra but that requires much less chakra control."

"Do not worry! With enough hard work I am sure I can learn. Shape and nature manipulation jutsu are the only techniques I cannot use, but I can still learn other basic chakra manipulation like this." Lee then glanced at Sakura with a disheartened look on his face. "That is, if you are still willing to teach me. If you wish to change your mind that is perfectly okay with me."

"No way," Sakura said firmly. "I'm more stubborn than that. I agreed to help you and so shall it be."

_It is nice to see more of Sakura's old self slip through the cracks,_ Lee mused. _Exercise always fixes my mood too. _

"Wonderful! Thank you, Sakura!" Lee exclaimed enthusiastically.

"No problem," Sakura replied. "Let's work on genjutsu dissipation. Luckily for you, I've dabbled into some genjutsu since our chunin days so you'll have actual practice against higher level genjutsu so we can perfect your technique. Follow me."

Sakura stood up and Lee followed. She led him past the clearing where all the training equipment was set up, straight to the dense outer woods. Sunlight filtered through small cracks in the leaves, though most of the forest floor was heavily shaded. It was nearly silent except for the occasional breeze rustling the leaves or the chirping of birds. When they could no longer see the training grounds through the trees, Sakura stopped and faced him.

Lee looked at her, puzzled. When Sakura read the expression on his face, she said, "To get away from any distractions."

Lee nodded, content with this answer. "What is your training plan?" he asked, curious.

"You'll see in a moment." Sakura closed the distance between them so they were face-to-face. "Could you please open your flak jacket for me, Lee?"

Lee raised an eyebrow, but he did as instructed, unzipping his flak jacket and exposing his torso to her. His red leaf headband was around his waist as always; he left it there even if it could not be seen with his flak jacket closed. Sakura then placed one of her gloved hands on his chest. Lee felt heat rush to his cheeks. "I-If I may ask, Sakura, what part of the training is this?" he stammered.

Sakura looked up at him with her beautiful jade-green eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. "No need to be nervous. See this point on your chest? This is where the center of your chakra is. The chakra pathway system is most dense right here, close to your heart. If I am to instruct you correctly, I need to be able to feel how you're manipulating your inner chakra."

"Will my heartbeat be a distraction?" Lee hoped his heart was not beating noticeably fast.

"No, I can easily differentiate. I allow some of my own chakra to mingle with your own in your chakra pathway system and I follow its flow. It's as simple as that." Sakura pressed her hand against his chest for fullest contact. "Now, remember the genjutsu dissipation technique? I want you to try it without any genjutsu. First I want you to stop your chakra flow."

"Alright!" Lee hoped he could focus while feeling self-conscious about his former crush touching him like this. While she had often touched him in the hospital to check on his wounds, that was different. There she was formally his doctor, Dr. Uchiha, while now she was here as informal, everyday Sakura.

Lee closed his eyes and focused on his center. All he had to do was stop his chakra flow. That sounded easy enough. He was able to use both the water and surface walking technique. He could direct chakra into his limbs to augment his attacks. He could even open six of the eight gates, a forbidden technique. He could do this. Lee's breathing became slow and steady.

_Concentrate._

First, there was nothing but the touch of Sakura's hand, the light breeze through the trees, and the darkness. Then he could feel the blood pumping through his veins. After a moment he felt the faint movement of what he recognized to be chakra. Lee struggled to focus in on it. With time, the outside world faded away and there was nothing more than him and the flow of his chakra.

_Time to stop it._

Lee threw all of his concentration into stopping his chakra flow, though his chakra system felt like a rushing river that he somehow had to fight against.

"I can feel it slowing a little," Sakura's voice said to him from the darkness. "Keep it up."

Confidence rose in Lee as he sharpened his focus. This time though, slowing his chakra flow further proved to be difficult. With every minute, his mind grew dull and tired with the struggle against his own chakra.

After what felt like an eternity of fighting against his chakra flow, Sakura's voice came from the darkness once more. "I can't feel it slowing down any further and I can sense your exhaustion. Let's stop here."

Lee opened his eyes and met Sakura's. With a quick glance, he noticed that the sun was lower than it was before; no longer was it over the treetops, but it was lowering in front of him. How long had he been doing this for? Lee returned his attention to Sakura. "I can keep going," he protested.

Sakura removed her hand from his chest. "I won't have you faint from exhaustion," she stated. She had made up her mind and was not going to let him change it.

"If that is what you really think," Lee said, defeated. He zipped his flak jacket back up.

"Don't worry, there is always next session," Sakura reassured him.

"That there is!" Enthusiasm returned to Lee's voice as quickly as it had left. "Are there any pointers you have for me for next time?"

"Yes, there is. I noticed that you were depleting your chakra when you were trying to stop the flow. I assume you were trying to push chakra against its natural flow using more chakra. That's probably not the way you want to look at it; you shouldn't be losing chakra. What you really need to do is actually halt your chakra flow through willpower. You must control, not force."

Lee chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I am pretty good at force, though control is another matter."

"Well, like you said, you've been able to master other types of chakra control. You'll get this one eventually," Sakura smiled.

Lee smiled back. "Thank you for having confidence in me, Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded. "It's getting late. Shall we start heading back into town then?"

"Ah, you are welcome to head out without me. I plan to stay here and do some additional training." Lee gave her a grin and thumbs up.

Sakura looked him up and down, unamused. "I can see your legs trembling from chakra exhaustion. As your doctor I cannot permit this."

"I thought I was only your patient in the hospital. I did not know this extended to the training field," Lee jested.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but they had a glint of amusement in them. "You will always be my patient, Lee, especially since you're my most regularly occurring one. I'm preventing another visit."

"You have always been my favorite doctor so I see no issues with another visit."

Sakura blinked in surprise at Lee's compliment and a faint red hue spread to her cheeks, but she quickly recovered, placing her hands on her hips with a charming smirk. "Is that so? Well, as a doctor, I don't want to see my patients back. I'll remember not to be nice to you next time to discourage you. Now c'mon, let's head back."

Sakura took initiative and took a few steps towards town before stopping and turning her head towards Lee expectantly. Lee knew he did not have a choice in the matter so he joined her at her side. Sakura was a compassionate woman, and she would do anything in her power to prevent new injuries in her patients. Lee admired that strong-willed trait of hers.

They entered into town together, side by side. Lee stole glances at Sakura as they walked.

_Sakura seems happier today, but I can still see the lines and circles around her eyes. Should I ask her how she is doing?_

"So, Sakura..." Lee began. Sakura turned her head towards him, waiting for him to finish, but he then thought back to what Tenten told him.

_Tenten did tell me not to pry. Perhaps I should keep my mouth shut on that matter._

"When will you show up to training again?" Lee finished.

"You said you train every day at two, right? Expect me every day, except for Sunday for Guy-sensei's safety," Sakura said lightheartedly. "Anyway, this is where I part ways. See you Monday, Lee."

Lee could not hold back his eager grin. "Wonderful. See you later, Sakura!"

The two of them then split off from each other, both of them heading home from an afternoon of their first training session together.

* * *

**A/N: **Longest chapter yet! After all that waiting you guys finally get a chapter with our leads interacting quite a lot. I've read many LeeSaku fanfics where Lee is the mentor so I'm enjoying switching things up here. Genjutsu isn't very properly explained in the canon manga, so I'm doing my best to create a set of world rules it needs to follow, so some of this genjutsu stuff will kind of be fanon stuff that I try to explain in this fanfic. Hopefully I'm not getting too wordy with it.

I was always disappointed that when Lee and Sakura ended up in the same division in the war, they didn't really fight together as a team. I was so excited for the two taijutsu-focused badasses, who both started out as weaklings and symbols of human weakness, to fight back-to-back in the war. The first Naruto Shippuden movie had an awesome scene, which lasted for only a few seconds, of Lee and Sakura flipping around and over each other as they take out a group of enemy ninja with their taijutsu. The scene then ends with them grinning at each other as a wordless 'good job'. That's what I would have loved to see in the war, except expanded upon. Oh well.


	9. Optimism

**A/N:** Long time no see! I'm currently on my senior year in engineering so classes have become very time consuming. Still, I will find time to write when I can. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Optimism**

* * *

Every day, except Sundays, Sakura showed up to train with Lee. Right after she got off work she would quickly change at her home and then head straight to the training grounds after lunch. They would greet each other and then begin. First they would spar where Lee would give Sakura taijutsu pointers to improve on her weaker areas. Afterwards they went to their usual private spot in the forest to train Lee's chakra control. This became a part of Sakura's schedule, and it was something she looked forward to since she no longer had long work hours to distract her from troubled thoughts. This was her new distraction to keep her from home, so thus she stayed for as long as she could, though she was not afraid to cut their training short if one of them was suffering from fatigue.

Although Lee worked very hard, Sakura noted that they seemed to have hit a brick wall with Lee's chakra control training. While he had eventually corrected his mistake of using up chakra to force its flow to stop, progress seemed to stop there. For several weeks they tried the same thing; to get Lee to slow his chakra through willpower rather than force. They would sit in the forest for hours with Sakura's hand on his chest, with her unable to sense any change in his chakra current. Despite Lee's optimistic outlook on their training, Sakura's confidence began to slip.

"Lee, let's stop here for today," Sakura sighed, removing her hand from Lee's chest.

Lee opened his eyes. His eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Is something wrong, Sakura? We are stopping earlier than usual."

"Nothing's wrong," Sakura quickly reassured. She then paused and grimaced. "Okay, maybe there is something. About your training..."

"What about it?" Lee asked innocently.

"...I'm just concerned that we haven't had any progress these past few weeks. We've reached a stand still. Are you worried that this might be something you might be unable to do?"

Lee's jaw clenched. "While it is possible that I may not be able to control my chakra like this, it is too soon for me to give up. If I have learned anything from my ninja career, it is that I must always be persistent in order to see results."

Sakura fidgeted. "Sorry, I probably brought up a sensitive subject in a way I shouldn't have."

"It is no problem!" Lee insisted. "It is a valid concern. Although, does this mean you wish to stop training with me? If so, that is perfectly okay."

Sakura could tell he was trying to hide the dismay behind his voice. "No, of course not! I want to help you." Lee's face immediately lit back up. "I just brought this up because sometimes it's hard to believe how optimistic you can be about this, and even everything else in life. I wanted to make sure that the optimism wasn't a facade."

_What am I saying? I'm the only one who wears a facade, _Sakura thought, _I shouldn't be projecting myself onto others._

Lee looked at Sakura curiously as she continued. "How do you keep so positive over everything even when things look bleak?"

"Through a number of ways," Lee said, his voice soft. "I look towards inspiration. Guy-sensei used to be the only person who believed in me and my potential. He was just like me as a genin. Not only did his belief in me inspire, his existence as proof of an unskilled ninja becoming a splendid one showed me that I could be great too. The most important thing is that he helped me believe in myself. When I look back and see how much I have accomplished through sheer determination, today's troubles seem small in comparison and I know I can power through them. I have only gotten this far because I have pushed far past my limits and defied people's expectations of me. So I must do the same for this genjutsu training, and I feel I have not yet reached my limit."

"I see," Sakura said quietly, looked down at her hands in her lap. She admired that Lee had such a positive outlook, and she wished the same for herself. Now all she did was mope over Sasuke or avoid moping through distractions. Is this what the successor of the legendary Tsunade had become? A moping wife always waiting for her dear husband's return?

There was a pause before Lee hesitantly spoke. "I assume you ask for a reason. Do you have trouble keeping optimistic, Sakura?" Lee studied her, his voice laced with concern.

Sakura was caught off guard having her question turned around on her like that. "U-Um..." her face flushed red in embarrassment as she tried to think of something appropriate to respond with.

"My apologies. It was inappropriate for me to ask, but I was wondering in case you needed advice," Lee said.

"Oh no, it's okay. I... sometimes have trouble keeping a positive attitude like you or even Naruto, though so does the average person. You two aren't average people. I'm not sure how you do it. Maybe if I had that attitude I could be Hokage like Naruto, or I would be able to completely dwarf my weaknesses with my incredible strengths like you," Sakura sighed.

"Sakura, you are an incredible woman already! You are a sage, and an amazing medic-nin. You could be a Hokage if you wanted to, and you already have tremendous strengths. I am not even sure what weaknesses you may have. All you must do is believe in yourself and you could far surpass both Naruto and I!" he insisted.

Sakura chuckled at Lee's pure genuineness at a statement she did not believe herself. "That's easier said than done."

"Then let me be the first person to believe in you if you do not believe in yourself yet, much like Guy-sensei did for me," he said with a firm voice, yet tender expression.

Sakura blushed. "I'm... not sure how to respond to that, but thank you."

"You need not respond. I am simply stating what I intend to do," he grinned.

Sakura returned the smile. _It's nice to have Lee around. His optimism is infectious at times. God knows I need it. _

The two of them held eye contact for a few moments more before both looked away from each other when the moment grew uncomfortable. Lee suddenly examined the bandages wrapped around his arms while Sakura picked at the grass beside her, trying to think of what to say to break the silence. Even though breaking eye contact elevated some of her self-consciousness, it only made her focus more on the fact that their knees were still touching as they sat cross-legged across from each other.

Lee spoke first after clearing his throat. "So Sakura... would you still like to continue training today?"

When she looked back up from the grass he was already looking at her with a polite smile, waiting for a response. "Yeah, I'd like that." She reached out and put her hand back on Lee's chest.

* * *

After a few more hours Sakura ended their session as their usual time and then they said their goodbyes and split off. This session ended up different though, Sakura thought she felt Lee's chakra current actually slow, but it was by such a minuscule amount she was sure she imagined it. She decided against telling Lee about it just in case. If she felt it next time she would be sure she was not imaging it and then she would tell him.

When she arrived back home she made herself dinner, ate, and cleaned the dishes as usual. She hummed a familiar tune as she showered off the sweat and grime of the day. While it had turned dark outside, Sakura did not feel ready to enter the bedroom, as it brought back unhappy thoughts she wanted to ignore for now. Instead she pulled out one of her colleague's medical research papers and sat on the sofa, curious as to the results of his scientific conclusions. Perhaps the data and information within would help her one day with a future patient of her own.

As she flipped through the pages with care, the hair on the back of her neck suddenly rose. She knew she was not alone. Quickly she dug out a kunai from crack of the sofa cushions, rolled away, and held it ready to face the intruder.

"Good to see that you're watching your back now," Sasuke said. He stood several feet away from her holding nothing but his side. It was wrapped in gauze but blood still seeped through.

Sakura lowered her guard. "Sasuke, you're bleeding!" She put down the kunai and ran to his side. Sasuke lifted his hand to allow her to access his wound. She immediately began to pump healing chakra into him to seal it. "What happened?" She looked up desperately at his face for answers, hoping he would be gracious enough to answer her.

"I was attacked," Sasuke responded.

"By who?"

Sasuke did not respond.

Sakura's mouth tightened._ He plans on closing me out like he always does... _Sakura said no more about it as feelings of dejection swirled inside of her.

With her expert healing abilities, Sakura was able to close the wound in only a few minutes. Immediately when she finished Sasuke moved away from her so he could remove his usual gear and place it on the table. "Thanks," he simply said with his back to her, as he sorted through the gear and tools he brought with him.

"Of course, Sasuke," Sakura beamed, her spirits suddenly lifted. She hovered behind Sasuke's back, hands clasped together anxiously, unsure of what to do as she waited for Sasuke to finish. She partially hoped for an unexpected kiss and heart melting smile like last time he left, but that never came. "Have... have you eaten anything? Would you like me to make you something?" she implored.

"I have not. You may make me something if you wish."

Sakura felt excitement rise up in her. "I-I'll make something right away then!" She rushed over to the kitchen, and dug through the cabinets. At least the one thing she was sure she knew about Sasuke was that his favorite food was rice balls with bonito filling. It took her little time to prepare the food; she put the rice balls together as fast as she could as to not disappoint Sasuke. Sasuke in the meantime disappeared into the bedroom and came back out wearing casual clothes. He sat down at the kitchen table and waited patiently. Sakura immediately put a plate of rice balls in front of him along with some tea she hastily brewed up.

"Thank you, Sakura." A subtle smile spread across Sasuke's lips.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "You're welcome, Sasuke."

Sasuke dug in, eating as though he was starved. Sakura watched him for a while before realizing how strange it was for her to stand and stare at him eating. She then grabbed a cup of tea and sat in the chair across from him. She counted the new freshly healed wounds on his arm. Five new scars. Sasuke's hair was getting a bit longer than usual, and might need a cut. There were circles underneath his mismatched eyes, from either lack of sleep or stress. Despite gracing her with a smile, his posture was still tense.

"How are you doing?" Sakura broke the silence. "Is everything okay?"

Sasuke glanced up at her. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Ah, well," she began, flustered. "You look a bit tense. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Sasuke immediately relaxed his posture. "Is this better?"

Sakura nodded, though she felt differently. Sasuke purposely fixing his posture did not change whatever may be troubling him on the inside. "Is nothing bothering you? If I can do anything to help, _please_ tell me," she almost begged.

Sasuke took a moment to sip his tea. "There is nothing you can do for me so you have no need to be concerned."

"But it's important that I at least try, or otherwise I'd be a failure of a wife! Please don't shut me out..." she insisted, her voice meek.

Sakura bit her lip as she waited for Sasuke's response. Sasuke eyed her, his eyes cold and unreadable. Sakura could tell he was thinking, though his facial expression revealed little about it. After a long pause, Sasuke finally spoke. "Sakura, you've known me since we were genin; this is who I am. There are many thoughts and feelings that I do not share even with Naruto because I am a private person. It is foolish to think I would change who I fundamentally am after marriage."

Sakura bit back tears as she felt a pang in her chest. _Sasuke's right... I'm foolish. It's selfish of me to want Sasuke to change who he is for me._

"Are you unhappy with our marriage?" Sasuke questioned.

"No, of course not!" Sakura answered quickly, but her voice then turned quiet. "This is what I've always wanted after all..."

Sasuke studied her face but said no more on the subject. "Naruto asked me to bring you with me the next time I see him. He's upset you haven't visited him more often. He said we could eat dinner at his home with Hinata. I told him it was unnecessary, but he's refused to legally permit me to leave the village again unless we accept," he huffed, indignant.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "S-Sure! When?"

"Tomorrow evening."

"Okay," Sakura nodded.

_I'll end up missing practice with Lee, but I'm sure he won't mind,_ Sakura thought. _It's a special occasion after all. Sasuke and I haven't gone out and done something social in so long... And it will be nice to see Naruto again. Maybe this will be good for us. I should be more optimistic like Lee..._

* * *

**A/N:** Hastily finished so I can continue studying for my upcoming exams. But anyway, I've renewed my motivation and inspiration for this fic, so expect more upcoming chapters when I can find time around classwork!


	10. Envy

**A/N: **I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all the anons telling me to go kill myself. I never dreamed that my fanfics could one day create such passionate emotions in people (so I understand why you're all too embarrassed to come off anon to express yourselves). You guys really motivate me to keep on writing. ;)

(But seriously. _COME ON._ IT'S JUST A FANFIC ABOUT A FICTIONAL PAIRING. NO BIGGIE. I promise.)

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Envy**

* * *

The next day came and two o'clock neared by. Lee was at the training grounds stretching his limbs out by their usual meeting spot. His eagerness grew as the minutes went by. Sakura would appear soon. Lee could not deny that training with Sakura had become his favorite part of the day. Her talent in taijutsu made sparring a fun challenge; her skill in genjutsu made her a perfect trainer. Not only that, she was a pleasure to be around. While she was not quite the spunky, passionate woman Lee remembered from before her marriage, with every passing day he could catch small glimpses of her old self when her guard was dropped and her troubles forgotten.

As Lee told himself, he wanted to help Sakura blossom again to the youthful woman she was before while adhering to Tenten's womanly advice not to pry into her problems. These training sessions of theirs seemed to help her a bit, Lee noticed, and he was thankful for that.

Two o'clock passed by with no sign of Sakura.

_She must be late,_ Lee thought to himself.

Lee then noticed a silhouette heading in his direction. His hopes raised. He shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun to get a better look.

_That is not Sakura. _Lee sighed, his hopes crushed. _Perhaps she cannot make today. That is fine. I will train as I did before. _

* * *

"Come, Sakura. Let's go," Sasuke said. He was standing by their front door expectantly eyeing his wife. He was dressed in finer clothes than usual; all in black.

"Y-Yes, Sasuke," Sakura responded. She rushed to his side wearing a bright summer dress.

The two of them headed out of their house, side by side. Sakura hesitantly held onto Sasuke's elbow. He seemed to tolerate it. The walk to Naruto's was filled with silence, with the occasional glare of a villager who had not forgiven Sasuke of his past treachery or Sakura for tainting herself with her marriage to him. Upon their arrival Sakura noticed the large number of guard-nin that surrounded the area. Some were out in plain sight, others hidden in trees, around corners, or on buildings, and those were only the ones she could sense. None disturbed them as Sasuke knocked on the front door.

Almost immediately it was swung open to reveal their old teammate. "Sasuke! Sakura! Good to see you!" Naruto grinned.

"Naruto," Sasuke smirked.

"Nice to see you too, Naruto," Sakura greeted.

Naruto turned his attention to her. "I see Sasuke enough, but what about you, Sakura? You never come visit me. What did I do to deserve this neglect?" he pouted.

"Sorry Naruto, I'm just busy is all and you're always busy with Hokage work," Sakura replied, avoiding his gaze.

Sakura could feel Naruto's eyes on her. "My Hokage work hasn't stopped Sasuke yet. But I'm surprised; you're not going to say something mean? What happened to the real Sakura?" he jested.

"She's still in front of you," Sakura responded, putting on a lighthearted smile.

"If you say so," Naruto said half-heartedly. His eyes glanced over at Sasuke suspiciously before returning to Sakura. "Well anyway, come in you two! Hinata's just finished making dinner. Her cooking is amazing. I no longer have to live solely on instant ramen like the old days." Naruto let the two of them in and they followed him to their dining room.

"With your title you could hire cooks if you wanted," Sasuke stated.

"Yeah, but Hinata really enjoys cooking and only she can get my favorite foods just right." Naruto paused before admitting, "Though I did hire cooks the one time she was bedridden from sickness, otherwise all she would get would be instant ramen."

"Poor Hinata." Sakura shook her head.

Naruto led them into a room that a delicious aroma wafted out of. Inside Hinata was setting dishes down on a nicely polished wooden table with four seats ready for the two couples.

Hinata looked up from the table and gave her signature timid smile. "Nice to see you two have come."

Naruto walked over to his wife and pecked her on the cheek making her blush.

Sakura put on a polite smile, fighting down a twinge of envy at the casual display of affection. The Uchihas sat themselves down at the table, Naruto soon joining them. Hinata disappeared into the kitchen and returned with steaming food. Naruto rubbed his hands together in excitement as Hinata set down the food dishes. Grilled fish, fried rice, and steamed vegetables; all of it looked and smelled delicious.

"Please help yourselves," Hinata said as she took a seat next to Naruto.

"Thanks, Hinata," Sakura smiled.

Naruto immediately grabbed his chopsticks and helped himself to sizable portions of each dish. After Naruto had laid claims to his portion everyone else took portions for themselves.

"Hinata, your cooking is the best!" Naruto sighed with delight after swallowing a sizable chunk of fish that Sakura was surprised he did not choke on.

Hinata beamed. "Thank you."

Naruto grinned warmly at Hinata, and she returned an equally warm smile. Naruto then playfully nudged Hinata with his shoulder, causing her to giggle. The mutual affection in their gazes was hard to miss and Sakura felt envy rise up in her again.

_Why can't my marriage be like that?_ Sakura caught herself thinking. Guilt soon replaced envy. _Stop being pathetic and petty getting upset at something as stupid as this,_ she scolded herself._ I need to be happy for Naruto, not turning this around to make it about my unhappiness. _She stole a glance at Sasuke, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. _Even so, I can't expect Sasuke to act like Naruto either. The two are polar opposites, like night and day. _Sakura then realized how fitting this comparison was. Naruto was warm and bright while Sasuke was cold and secretive, and Sakura sadly realized that she could not expect the moon to be as bright and warm as the sun. It was as Sasuke told her yesterday: it was foolish for her to think that Sasuke would change who he fundamentally was with marriage. It was hope reminiscent of a young, naive schoolgirl, not unlike her genin self. _I am no longer a foolish genin,_ Sakura stubbornly thought._ Lee's right. I'm a strong woman. I'm both a sage and a jounin. I'm stronger than something as simple as this. So what if Sasuke isn't affectionate? Marriages aren't perfect. I should be happy with what I have and accept the flaws that are there._

Naruto broke her train of thought with his loud voice. "So Sasuke! What's with the full black getup? Did you mistaken your dinner clothes with your funeral clothes?" he joked.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, but his mouth betrayed him by twitching into an amused smile. "When have you last looked into a mirror, Naruto? I'm not sure how you became Hokage wearing orange for so long. I'd expect an enemy-nin to off you before I returned to the village."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke. "Just shows you what a great shinobi I am!"

"Hmph, more like a lucky one," Sasuke retorted, though there was fondness in his voice.

Watching the two of them bicker reminded Sakura of their genin days, though this had less rivalry to it. It was good to see that after all they went through their bond still remained strong. Sakura once again fought down another inkling of envy, wishing her bond to both her teammates was as strong because sometimes she felt like an outsider to their team.

Before Sasuke and Naruto could get carried away, Hinata spoke up. "So how have you two been?" she politely asked, referring to Sakura and Sasuke, as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, waiting to see if he would respond first, but since he was chewing on a piece of food she thought it would be okay if she went first instead. "I'm been fine! Just very busy at the hospital. I don't get much rest," Sakura said halfheartedly. "Though Tsunade recently gave me shorter hours since I've fallen asleep on the job several times..."

"Oh my," Hinata gasped.

"What have you been up to with that free time?" Naruto asked with a mouthful of food.

"Well... I've been training with Lee, actually."

"No wonder you still look tired," Naruto jested. Sakura held her tongue. "Bushybrows' training regiment is crazy. I never plan on training with him again." He shuttered.

_Good thing I'm training Lee in genjutsu then,_ Sakura thought.

"What about you, Sasuke?" Hinata asked.

"I've been busy traveling," Sasuke responded. "Is very time consuming but rewarding experience, and I've learned things that will benefit Konoha."

Hinata looked expectantly at Naruto, but the Hokage chose not to add in a comment, instead he quietly chewed his food. She politely smiled. "I see. We're all thankful for what anything you can do for the village."

"What about you guys?" Sakura asked.

Hinata blushed. "W-Well, I may no longer be heiress to the Hyuga Clan, but I've been petitioning my sister, Hanabi, to remove the Hyuga traditional juinjutsu seal from use to honor Neji when she comes into power. I expect a lot of push back from the elders but I think it's the right thing to do."

Sakura gaped. "Wow, that's great! I really hope you succeed."

Hinata smiled. "Me too. Please keep it a secret for now. We don't want the elders to find out about it before she comes to power otherwise I'm sure they'll find an illegitimate reason to remove her heiress position before she can claim it."

Sakura nodded. "Can do. If I can help in anyway, please ask."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Hinata said shyly, fiddling her hands together like she used to do all the time in her youth.

Sakura looked to Naruto expecting his response, but he was staring into his food with a tightly clenched jaw. _What's wrong with Naruto?_ Sakura wondered.

"Naruto?" Sakura inquired.

Naruto suddenly blinked and his eyes darted to Sakura. "Huh?"

"You were going to tell us how you've been?" Sakura reminded.

"Ah, yes!" Naruto agreed, nodding. "Hokage work involves a lot more paperwork and less action than I wanted. Now I know why Granny Tsunade drank all the time. She must have been so bored." Naruto laughed, but it was strained.

"She just did that normally and still does," Sakura sighed. Naruto looked a bit tense. One of Hinata's hands drifted to Naruto's under the table. "Something wrong, Naruto?"

"Hm? Nothing at all!" Naruto blurted.

"If you say so," Sakura responded, unconvinced.

The rest of dinner went uneventful with a tension in the air that Sakura did not understand. Once their plates were empty Naruto spoke up. "Thanks for dinner, Hinata. Will you two excuse me and Sasuke?"

"Go right ahead," Hinata said.

Sakura looked back and forth between the two men, wondering what went on between them during their uneventful dinner.

"Great!" Naruto stood up from the table and Sasuke followed suit. "It was nice seeing you, Sakura!" With that, the two of them disappeared through the window into the night.

"Does Naruto often leave suddenly like that?" Sakura sighed.

"Sometimes, yes," Hinata responded. "He's Hokage after all. Urgent business can occur at any time of the night."

"I guess you're right about that," Sakura admitted. Perhaps her suspicions on something strange happening were unfounded if this was normal.

Sakura insisted to help Hinata clean the dishes so the two of them quietly scrubbed the plates in the kitchen sink. Sakura had never really spoken to Hinata in more than a few formal conversations here and there over the years she's known her. She had gotten to know Hinata a bit better since her relationship with Naruto began but she never felt like they had truly broken the ice.

Sakura's thoughts wandered back to Naruto and Sasuke. Their effectiveness at wordless communication was ridiculous. The two of them had a connection that Sakura had never had with anyone before, not even a romantic partner.

"Hinata...?" Sakura spoke softly.

"Yes, Sakura?" Hinata looked at Sakura, her soft eyes attentive.

"Do you ever feel like you're in second place to Sasuke in Naruto's heart?"

Hinata thought for a moment before speaking, keeping her expression guarded. "Sometimes," she admitted. "But I understand why and I accept it."

Sakura waited expectantly for Hinata to continue.

"There are two categories of people in both of their hearts: one another and everybody else. The bond they share is just that special. Even so, I know I'm not in competition with Sasuke because we're in different categories. Naruto has a big heart, big enough to fit all of us in Konoha and even more, so I don't often feel like I'm merely receiving a ration of Naruto's love. ...T-Though sometimes I feel selfish and I wish I could have my own category like Sasuke, but I know they have a mutual understanding of similar experiences that I cannot achieve."

Sakura nodded in empathy. "I've never been able to understand men, but I think you put it perfectly, Hinata. I feel the same way about Sasuke though sometimes I think his heart has much less room for others than Naruto's."

"I'm sure he has enough room for you too, Sakura," Hinata reassured.

"Sometimes I wonder," Sakura sighed.

Hinata simply nodded, looking uncomfortable. Sakura figured she did not want to continue their conversation and so they remained silent the rest of the way through dish cleaning. Sakura excused herself soon after and headed back home alone.

* * *

Only a few people littered the streets. The lights of nighttime restaurants illuminated the streets along with the occasional lamplight. An occasional murmur of conversation or laughter reached her ears; the villagers that were out were enjoying themselves. To get back home Sakura had to walk through downtown Konoha before she could branch off to the more private living district streets. She kept her eyes on the ground as she let her feet guide her home.

Sakura hoped she did not cross a line by suddenly asking Hinata such a personal question about her marriage with Naruto. She figured Hinata was the only one that could relate to her after all, considering Sakura's insecurities had to do with Naruto and Sasuke's special bond, and both women were married to one of them. As Sakura admitted, she had difficulty understanding men so she thought Hinata might have better insight than her on her troubled thoughts. What Hinata had to say was a bit reassuring, and Sakura felt that understanding Sasuke better was key to better accepting who he was, and thus happier her marriage would be.

Sakura fiddled with the ring on her finger. It was a bit too small so wearing it for too long was uncomfortable. It often felt foreign on her ring finger. Many married women would not remove it once it was placed on their finger but with Sakura's occupations as both a doctor and ninja, it was either an inconvenience or a threat. A ring might get caught on something or it would be a clue for an enemy-nin that she had an attachment that could be used against her so thus it remained at home more often than not.

She remembered the day Sasuke asked her to marry him. It was a very casual affair. The two of them were sitting at a park bench, and Sakura's arms were wrapped around one of his. While staring off into the treeline he said, 'Sakura, do you want to get married?' Sakura's breath had caught in her throat; the question came out of the blue but she answered with an enthusiastic 'Yes!' Sasuke nodded, his gaze still distant, perhaps too shy to look at her, she had assumed. 'Good. It's about time I try to fully become a part of Konoha again.' Sakura's heart had swelled up with pride that he considered his proposal to her as part of his reintegration into their village.

But now that she had time to ponder the situation, was that all she was? A simple box checked on Sasuke's list to reintegrate into Konoha society? Sakura's throat tightened at the thought, insecurities flowing back inside her. Her pace hastened, wanting nothing more than to hide in the safety of her own home, away from prying eyes.

"Sakura!" She heard a familiar voice call.

As soon as she turned her head Lee was beside her, matching her gait. "Hello, Lee," she greeted, sparing him only a glance before she returned her gaze to the street. She didn't want Lee to see that she was troubled again.

"Good evening, Sakura! I did not expect to run into you. It seems like we do that a lot, but I promise that I am not purposely trying to follow you." What Lee started as a well-intentioned comment ended uncomfortably, which he seemed to realize as he immediately after let out a nervous chuckle and a cough. "W-What I mean is—"

"I know what you mean," Sakura interrupted, to spare him the task of trying to recover himself. "Don't worry, Lee."

"G-Great!" Lee exclaimed. Sakura could hear the relief in his voice. "So how are you doing this evening?"

"I am doing well. I'm just heading home from a dinner at Naruto's."

"Ah, so that explains the beautiful dress. It really compliments your eye color," Lee stated.

A huff of amusement escaped Sakura's lips as they tilted into a smirk.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lee tilt his head in confusion. "Is there a joke I missed?"

"No, it's just you said that so matter-of-fact rather than as an opinion."

"Because it is true. I am a passionate man, and to stay true to myself I try to only say things I completely believe in," he said with pride.

"If you say so," she rolled her eyes, amused. Sakura could already feel her mood improving. Lee's eccentric, open personality seemed to do that, which was always a breath of fresh air when compared to Sasuke's cold demeanor. Sakura decided to stop staring at the ground and glanced over at Lee. His black hair was matted down with sweat. "Let me guess. You've been training as usual today?"

"You guessed correctly! Since you were busy with other matters I decided to further work on my taijutsu."

"...I'm sorry I didn't notify you sooner I wasn't coming, Lee. The Naruto dinner plan was scheduled last minute."

"It is not a problem! I completely understand. I do not want you to ever feel pressured to join me if you do not want to." Lee turned his head towards her and gave her a reassuring smile.

But Sakura's face turned to horror. "What happened to your face?!"

The opposite side of Lee's face was covered with a dark, mottled bruise. The bruise had swollen so large that it disfigured the shape of Lee's cheek, and his right eye was almost swollen shut.

"Oh nothing special," Lee said nonchalantly. "It was a new training regimen of mine."

"What type of training regimen does that?!"

"I would be more than happy to share that with you," Lee said, now giddy with excitement. He was seemingly unaffected by his terrible face wound. "It's a training regimen I can easily do by myself although it needs a bit of set up. I have a nice place in the forest with densely packed, sturdy branches. I bend all these branches back and secure them all to one common point so when I throw a kunai at it the ties break then all the branches come rushing at me at once and I need to dodge them." Lee then hung his head in shame. "...But I was unable to dodge one of them and this is the result."

Sakura sighed. "You shouldn't feel bad. In fact, _I_ feel bad that I didn't show up to train with you just to make sure you didn't hurt yourself like this. Here, let me heal you."

"Oh, please do not worry about—"

Lee's mouth clamped shut when Sakura grabbed his forearm and led him to a nearby park bench underneath a streetlight. "Sit."

Lee obeyed. "I should have realized I did not have an option when talking to my doctor," he chuckled, embarrassed.

"Correct," Sakura smirked. Sakura joined Lee on the park bench and immediately studied the bruise, carefully brushing her hand along it to make sure the face bones beneath it were not broken while leaning in close, trying to get the best out of the streetlight's poor lighting.

A redness crept on Lee's cheeks and he then darted his eyes away from Sakura, instead looking down at his feet. "How does it look...?"

"No broken bones, thankfully. It looks like I just have to heal the tissue," Sakura responded, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She placed a hand gently on the bruise and began to channel healing chakra into Lee's face, causing both of them to illuminate with a soft green glow from her hands.

A silence fell between them as Sakura concentrated on healing. As the minutes went by, the swelling started to go down and Sakura could finally recognize the right side of Lee's face again.

"...Thank you, Sakura," Lee said, breaking the silence. He had pulled his eyes back up from the ground to Sakura.

"You need not thank me. I couldn't let you go around scaring other people with that face," she said lightheartedly. "You already scared me half to death with it."

A sheepish smile spread across Lee's face. "I apologize, Sakura. That was not my intention but in my defense, I have not looked in a mirror yet today so I did not know how terrible it was."

"Apology accepted, though my doctor recommendation is to think of another training regimen that doesn't do this to you. As much as you are my favorite patient, I won't always be readily available to put you back together, you know," Sakura said gently.

"That is unfortunate but I understand."

"Look on the bright side! For motivation to keep you away from that regimen I'll show up to training tomorrow."

"Excellent! Training with you is my favorite part of the day after all," Lee remarked.

"I'm sure. I know how much you love training."

"Well, I enjoy it for more than just that. I enjoy your company as well."

Sakura blushed, caught off guard, thankful for the cover of night. "Is that so?"

"Y-Yes! It is nice to rekindle our friendship that I feared had faded permanently after the war. Often when we would pass each other on the street I would hope for a proper excuse to say something more than 'hello' to you but I never found it. As much as I regret my performance on my last mission and how it left me in the hospital, I was thankful that it gave me a proper excuse to say more than 'hello' to you."

"Lee... you didn't need a brush with death to give you a proper excuse to talk to me. It seems unlike you to worry about that sort of social etiquette. I thought Rock Lee was a spur of the moment type of guy, wearing his heart proudly on his sleeve."

Lee looked away from her once again, now fiddling with the bandages on his arms. "People do change with age, and I understand now that my usual approach is not always the best for all situations."

"What's so different about coming to talk to me?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lee rubbed the back of his head, mumbling an excuse she could not make out.

"Sorry, I missed that. What are you saying?"

"Well, it's just..." Lee began, hesitant. He looked at Sakura, his round eyes filled with a mixture of worry and guilt. His fists tightened in his lap. "Please forgive me if bringing this up upsets you again, but it is because you seemed troubled for so long. It upset me to see you like that and I wanted nothing more than to return a real smile to your face, but I did not know how."

"Lee I..." Sakura's throat immediately tightened and her eyebrows knitted together in pain. With her concentration distracted, the green healing chakra flickered. Lee's expression was mixed with concern and guilt, but most of all a tenderness and openness that reached out for a connection to Sakura—that unfamiliar feeling made her feel vulnerable, and that frightened her. _"Why?" _she finally said. Why did he care so much? Why did he care more than her parents or Ino who never dug past the surface of her troubles? Why Rock Lee, whom she had never done any favors for?

Lee hesitantly placed his bandaged hand on top of Sakura's that was still cradling his cheek, healing chakra no longer radiating from it. His hand was warm and rough with callouses, and it filled Sakura with comfort as it cradled her own. "You forget my promise, Sakura," he said, keeping his gaze steady despite the regret painted across his face for speaking honestly. "And please do not think I feel only obligation towards this promise; abiding to it is very important to me as it brings me personal happiness."

The softness in Lee's expression as he gazed into Sakura's eyes brought butterflies to her stomach. The way he looked at her reminded her of the way Naruto looked at Hinata and the way she wanted Sasuke to look at her. "Lee... do you still have feelings for me?"

Lee's eyes widened, his once tender expression gone to shock. He immediately recoiled his hand off of Sakura's as though it had suddenly burned him. "No, of course not!" he stammered. After Lee regained his composure his expression turned guarded and Sakura could no longer read them as openly as she could mere moments ago. "You are married. The days of my unrequited love are over. I see you now as only a friend, nothing more, but my promise still stands. What kind of person would I be if I just broke that promise?"

Sakura removed her hand from Lee's face. The green-clad shinobi was sitting stiffly in place. "I see," Sakura said softly. "I'm glad to hear that I can't hurt you in that way anymore. Keeping such a promise for so long really makes you an amazing guy. Don't ever change, Lee." Sakura stood up from the bench. "I think I've healed your face the best I can for now. I should probably head back home now."

Lee cracked a small smile. "Thank you, Sakura. Once again, I apologize for bringing this subject matter up and for my inappropriate behavior. Let us pretend that this conversation never happened?"

"Deal," Sakura nodded with a curt smile. "Goodnight, Lee."

"Goodnight, Sakura."

Sakura left Lee at the park bench staring at his hands with eyebrows deeply furrowed in thought.

* * *

**A/N:** Not sure how I feel about the dinner scene. I put it in to show a contrast between SasuSaku and NaruHina to both Sakura and the reader but now I just want to get back to all LeeSaku lol. I've always been neutral about NaruHina and thus never put much thought into the pairing so it was interesting trying to write it for the first time.

For those of you jealous that I put in a special dedication to the angry anons, don't worry, the next chapter (and beyond) will be dedicated solely to the rest of my readers. ;)


	11. Parallels

**A/N:** With finals over I now have chance to write again. :')

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Parallels**

* * *

It was just a fluke, Lee told himself. He had hit his head hard on a branch and that had scrambled his brains that night. That is why when he looked at Sakura's face so close to his own, alit by the gentle green light of her chakra, that he felt his heart thud loudly in his chest and butterflies in his stomach. That is why when she looked at him with such pain in her beautiful jade-green eyes that he felt so compelled to put his hand on hers in the hope that it would show her how much he cared.

_I no longer have feelings for her, _he told himself firmly. He had feelings for Sakura Haruno years ago but now he absolutely could not for Sakura Uchiha.

When Sakura came to training the next day he greeted her with an awkward grin, relieved that the butterflies did not return. She greeted him warmly in return, seemingly keeping her end of the deal to forget the uncomfortably intimate moment they had the night before. Lee felt immediately at ease. Things between them would remain nothing more than friendly.

After their usual sparring session they once again sat down in their private place in the forest with Sakura's hand on his chest.

"I have an idea I think we should try," Sakura said.

Lee's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh? What would that be?"

"You can sense my chakra in your chakra stream, right?"

Lee nodded.

"Good. Normally I let my chakra drift in your chakra stream. This time I'm going to control it to go against your natural flow. I want you to follow it and try to match it."

"That sounds like a great idea, Sakura!"

Sakura smiled back. "Thanks, but we'll see if it actually works. I'm not sure if this will have any side effects so stop me if you feel uncomfortable."

"Will do!"

"Alright, let's start."

Lee nodded, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

He pushed away all worldly distractions in an instant until there was nothing left but his chakra stream. He had become talented at doing that after many weeks of practice. He followed his chakra pathway through his body until he located a foreign entity—Sakura's chakra. It cut through his chakra stream in the opposing direction and circled through his system. Lee focused on it. He followed it through his chakra pathway system, from limb to limb, until he felt fully synchronized to it. Lee then called his will upon his chakra stream with all his mental might to follow Sakura's chakra.

"It's slowing!" Sakura's voice said excitedly. "Keep on going!"

He kept up the pressure, straining himself as he pushed himself further.

But after a few moments Sakura's voice came to him again, the excitement gone from her voice. "Lee, I don't feel it slowing any further..."

Lee felt disappointment rise within him but he forced it away aggressively. _No. This is the day I succeed._

Lee gathered up determination he did not know he still had and pushed. Lee lost focus on his chakra stream for a moment as he felt suddenly disoriented as though something he could not explain changed within him in an instant, and then the strain he put on his mental will eased away until it felt like second-nature to will his chakra stream. He thought he heard something calling to him but he could not understand it, ignoring it in favor of swiftly refocusing himself on his chakra stream. He refused to fail now. He then tried to relocate Sakura's chakra but he had to strain to find it. Where it at once stuck out like a sore thumb, now it was camouflaged in with his own chakra stream. What did that mean? Before he could contemplate much on it he heard that something speak to him again, but much louder. He focused in on it until he recognized it to be someone, and someone he recognized.

"Lee, wake up!"

Suddenly his whole body was shaking, pulling him out of his state of concentration. The bright light of the sun through the treetops blinded him for a moment as his torso continued to violently shake back and forth.

_"Lee!"_

Lee shook his head, regaining his senses. When his eyes readjusted he fully opened them to see Sakura's concerned face with her hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him aggressively. "Yes, Sakura?" Lee said innocently, oblivious as to why he was shaken and not thinking to ask why.

"Oh thank god," Sakura sighed in relief and her expression relaxed.

She released her tight grip on his shoulders but Lee immediately fell over on his back, letting out a surprised squeak. It seemed as though his sense of balance still was finding its way back to him.

Lee heard Sakura try to hide a snicker.

Lee scrambled back up to a proper sitting position, folded his arms across his chest has though nothing happened, and huffed in humiliation at his sudden lost of composure.

Sakura snickered again. "Sorry, Lee, don't feel embarrassed, it happened to me my first time too."

Lee cleared his throat. "Your first time?"

"Yep! When you reverse your chakra flow for the first time it can be disorienting for a bit after until you get used it."

Lee stared at her blankly. "Wait, are you saying that I did it?"

"Yes! You did it, Lee! You fully reversed your chakra flow in one go!" Sakura grinned proudly at him.

Lee's mouth gaped open, staring at Sakura in disbelief. Then came a quiet "I did it..." as though he was unsure of the words. Lee repeated it louder with more confidence, a confirmation to himself. "I did it." Lee then leaped up on his feet, startling Sakura, a large grin on his face. "Guy-sensei, I did it!" he declared loudly to the forest, fist pumping the air. He suddenly had so much energy coursing through him that he_ had_ to let it out in some way. He let out a compulsive victory shout and stormed around the forest as nothing but a blur. When he returned to Sakura she was now standing while patting down windblown hair in displeasure.

"Was that your victory lap?" Sakura said dryly.

Lee took Sakura's hands in his own with the utmost gratitude. "Thank you, Sakura! I mean it! I could not have done it without you!"

Sakura blinked in surprise at the physical gesture, but it was obvious enough it was supposed to be a chaste gesture free from other implications. She then let out a halfhearted laugh that drifted off awkwardly. "Um, Lee?"

"Yes, Sakura?" he said, his voice still filled to the brim with joy.

"This is just the start of your training."

The joy and relief fell from Lee's face. He released Sakura's hands. "W-What?" he said, his voice thick with disappointment.

"Yes, you've done it one time in deep concentration with assistance. That won't work in thick of battle. This is the point where we start practicing it until you get good enough at it that you won't have to struggle to activate it. But don't worry, you've completed the hardest part," Sakura reassured.

"Oh, I guess that is good to hear," Lee said, trying to regain his spirits.

"Hey, cheer up! You ought to be happy," Sakura insisted. "We can start on the next part right now if you'd like."

"Really?"

"Yep!" Sakura put her hand back on Lee's chest. "Now do it again but without my chakra guidance!" she demanded.

"Y-Yes, Sakura!"

By the end of their training session Lee had reversed his chakra flow an additional five times. There was some initial struggle to replicate his initial results but with Lee's determination he was able to get a grasp at doing it on his own. Right when he had reversed his chakra stream for the second time, Lee wobbled on his feet and Sakura had to catch him by her tight grip on his jumpsuit so he would not fall backwards again. After that time they went back to sitting down for Lee's safety. With each time his balance got a little better and he was able to reverse his chakra stream a little faster.

"Alright, Lee, next time we'll practice more. Good job today," Sakura said, standing up and brushing the stray grass off her legs.

Lee stood up as well. "Thank you! It was only due to your brilliant idea that I was able to succeed today so you deserve credit as well."

Sakura's eyes lit up at the recognition and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Lee. I appreciate it."

The two of them walked side by side back to the training grounds and then followed the pathway back into Konoha. It was time to head home. Sakura had gone quiet. She was biting her lip, looking down at her feet as they walked. Lee dearly hoped whatever was now troubling her would pass her soon, as he knew he should not pry despite his desire to, so he could help her in some way.

Sakura finally spoke. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. That's something a teacher should never do," Sakura said regretfully, kicking a pebble in their path.

_She was thinking about me?_ Lee thought.

"Is it alright, Sakura," Lee reassured. "I was not hurt. I would not be who I am today if I did not believe in myself." He gave her a thumbs up and a grin.

Sakura studied his face for a moment before looking back to the path, a subtle smile on her face. "That's good. I really do admire your confidence and optimism, Lee, especially as someone who has struggled with believing in her own abilities."

"T-Thank you," Lee stammered. His heart fluttered at the flattery but he quickly fought the feeling down. "...but someone like yourself had difficulties with confidence?" he said in disbelief.

Sakura nodded. "As a genin I graduated with top marks but when it came to the real deal, where my life was on the line for the first time, I did nothing but stand still and shake while the rest of my team did all the work. Not only that, I was always outclassed by Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke I understood—he was a genius after all—but Naruto had the lowest marks in the class yet he still did more than I did just because he had guts. Both of them grew exponentially while I was left always looking at their backs, needing to be protected. It wasn't hard for me to not believe in myself." She let out a short, bitter laugh. "I think Kakashi-sensei gave up on me pretty soon because he only focused on Naruto and Sasuke so I had to pursue Lady Tsunade to become the strong woman I am today."

"...I am sorry, Sakura. I did not know. It was not fair for Kakashi-sensei to neglect you like that. The only reason I am the man I am today is because of my own sensei's confidence in me so it bothers me to see someone else lacking in that."

Sakura dismissed his concern with a wave her hand. "It's all in the past now. There's no point in me dwelling on it."

"I think that makes you admirable. You had the courage to convince the legendary Tsunade to be your teacher because no one else tried to help you reach your potential. When my self-confidence in my abilities wavered I was ready to give up rather than find help."

Sakura quickly turned her head to Lee, her eyes wide. "You, _the_ Rock Lee, was once not confident in himself?"

Lee chuckled. "Yes. I too had issues with confidence as a genin. I made it through the academy without much of a dent to my confidence, despite my classmates constant bullying."

"I know what that's like, I was bullied in the academy too. People called me Billboard-brow or Forehead," Sakura huffed.

"I was called either Dork Lee or Eyebrows," Lee chortled.

"Academy kids were so mean! I'm glad I don't see them around anymore."

Lee nodded. "Despite their teasing we rose above them and became amazing shinobi," he smiled.

Sakura returned the smile. "You're right about that."

Lee continued. "I graduated with nothing more than below average marks in taijutsu and none in genjutsu or ninjutsu. I was bottom of the barrel much like Naruto. After I became a genin I made it my goal to prove myself as a talented shinobi despite my disadvantages. I wanted to defeat my eternal rival Neji, a genius, through hard work alone. I trained dawn until dusk, but I did not see any sort of results. Every mission I went on I found a way to mess up, maybe partly due to how much my legs shook when we started every mission." Lee let out an sheepish laugh.

"That sounds just like me..."

Lee nodded. "Both Neji and Tenten surpassed me in terms of ability. It was hard to see that even if I worked twice as hard as Neji or Tenten I still did not get results. Guy-sensei found me one day on the brink of giving up on myself and my goal, and he was able to restore my confidence."

"How did he do that?"

"He told me that I have the precious gift of perseverance but most importantly, training is pointless unless you believe in yourself. I think that is an important lesson for anyone. I always had a seed of doubt in the back of my mind but I denied its existence, hoping that mock confidence would be enough to combat it. I was wrong. It was a weed that had to be removed rather than ignored, only then was I able to grow, especially with Guy-sensei's support."

"That's a very wise saying, something I think I needed someone to tell me long ago, and maybe something I need to think about still today," Sakura said, contemplative. She then smiled at Lee; a warm, wide smile that reminded him of the smile she gave him when she thanked him in the Forest of Death. "You know, Lee, I used to think we were vastly different people. Turns out you and I aren't very different after all."

She was right, and it was something Lee would have not expected. Perhaps that is why he was drawn to her all those years ago. Perhaps it was more than just foolish youthful love. Perhaps a higher power drew him to her, out of all the other genin girls. Whatever it was, even if nothing, he was a thirteen-year-old fool who thought asking the pretty kunoichi to be his girlfriend right when he met her was a good idea despite knowing nothing but her face and name. His genin self did not know then what an amazing girl he had set his eyes on, and Lee cursed his ignorance, if only for his past self's inability to fully appreciate Sakura.

Lee's eyes softened. "It seems so. My only regret is not knowing about your struggles earlier. As someone who relates to it, I would have been more than happy to have been there to help you so you would have not suffered the same."

"But you did help me, Lee," Sakura said. "Remember the Forest of Death? I told you that you helped me awaken. That meant you were the catalyst towards my effort to become a stronger kunoichi."

Lee felt taken aback. He did not know that he had been so important to her growth as a person. "I did not fully comprehend what those words meant back then, but now I feel truly honored!" Lee felt tears of joy build up in his eyes but he fought them back and rubbed his eyes on his arm. He could have a tearful moment with Guy later if need be.

Sakura giggled. "Yes, so thank you, Lee. I am the woman I am today thanks to you. Hell, I would not even be around here today if not for you saving my life back then."

"Anytime, Sakura," Lee beamed.

The two of them were now stopped in front of a door, a door to a nice house in the living district. Sakura was looking at him expectantly while digging through one of her pockets which produced a key. He then realized he had accidentally followed Sakura home without noticing.

"Ah, sorry, I was so caught up in our conversation that I did not realize I followed you home," Lee apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't notice either for the same reason," she laughed, a pleasant airy laugh.

"Well, goodnight then, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Lee. I enjoyed our conversation. It's been too long since I've felt so free to share things about myself and I was happy to learn new things about you too."

"The feeling is mutual."

When they looked into each other's eyes Lee felt that there was something new there; it was a feeling of mutual understanding, respect, and perhaps admiration shared between them. Before their deep gazes could linger on for too long and bring up undesired feelings, Lee turned away from her and began to walk back down the street.

"See you next time, Sakura," Lee said with a wave, not looking back.

"Next time," Sakura responded softly.

Lee heard Sakura's door open as she entered her house and then shut the door. Now only he needed to return home. Lee sighed. He hoped that this new closeness to Sakura would not stir up his old feelings. He already felt like he had to guard himself carefully after last night. He once had feelings for Sakura Haruno, but now he absolutely could not for Sakura Uchiha. That taboo path would lead to nothing more than pain and controversy.

* * *

**A/N: **One of the reasons I love LeeSaku is the parallels between them in regards to their growth as shinobi. Both of them started out as bullied weaklings, struggled with belief in their abilities, yet found a way to succeed in the end and become amazing shinobi through hard work, even without special clan techniques. I would have loved it if canon allowed the two of them to bond over this. Oh well, at least I can have this happen through fanfiction. ;P


	12. Pendulum

**A/N:** I just want to thank everyone for the supportive reviews. I'm not sure what the proper etiquette is - if I should reply to every review or not - but please know that I appreciate every review I get and it brings me joy to hear that you guys are enjoying my story. :)

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Pendulum**

* * *

"Guy-sensei, I did it! I reversed my chakra flow!"

"Good job, Lee! I knew with enough hard work my precious student would be able to do it!"

Tears flowed from both men as they embraced with Tenten sighing in the background, leaning on a bo staff she had summoned. It was a typical Sunday practice for the remainder of Guy's team, even if half of their members were either dead or severely crippled.

"It was all thanks to Sakura that I was able to do it," Lee said, a dopey grin on his face.

"I'm eternally grateful that such a capable kunoichi took you under her wing. You're on the right step to becoming a jounin like me, Lee," Guy pointed to his puffed out chest, a blinding grin spread across his face. Guy still exuberated the same youth and energy despite being restricted to a wheelchair.

Lee's eyes sparkled. "I certainly hope so. Being as great as a shinobi are you are is my dream!"

Tenten shifted uncomfortably. "Lee, you know that in order to become a jounin you need to be able to manipulate at least two elemental chakras, right?"

Lee's head darted back and forth between Tenten and Guy, his eyes bulged. "What?! Is this true Guy-sensei?!"

"Hmm, Tenten is correct. Even I learned to manipulate two elements before I became a jounin."

Lee's expression fell. "Does this mean... that I have no hope to become a jounin myself?"

"Of course not, Lee!" Guy grinned, confident as ever. "You've made it this far with only taijutsu! Do not give up hope or you will not succeed. You became a genin without being able to do the clone jutsu so do not think that jounin entry requirements are any more set in stone."

A relieved smile spread across Lee's face. "Yes, Guy-sensei!"

"Wait a minute," Tenten interjected. "Putting false hope in something like that is a bad idea. You could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Don't forget that if you can't become a jounin there is still the tokubetsu jounin, AKA the tokujo. It's a rank under, because all it does it acknowledge you have jounin-expertise in a single area, but it's better than being stuck a chunin."

"If I am below the rank of jounin that means that I will not have become a shinobi as great as Guy-sensei," Lee responded, defiant.

Tenten sighed. "It doesn't hurt to be realistic, Lee."

Guy wheeled up to Tenten, his face twisted in over-the-top distraught. "Tenten, where is the optimism that I tried so hard to teach my students?! Have I failed you?!"

Tenten prodded Guy backwards with her bo staff. "Personal space, please!" she huffed.

Lee quietly watched the two of them, a troubled frown on his face. If a tokujo rank was for a shinobi that only specialized in one area, like Lee was with taijutsu, what hope was there that he could surpass that to a rank that seemingly required him to be more rounded? Tokujo were assigned as subordinates to jounin but he did not want to be that. He did not want to be stuck below his idol, Guy, or his dearly missed rival, Neji. He did not want to be below his friends like Sakura or the other jounin Rookie 9 members; if called to a mission he would want to fight with them as an equal, not a subordinate to be commanded.

"I think Tenten is right," Lee said, solemn. "I do not want to give myself false hope but it does not mean I cannot try my hardest to become a jounin anyway."

Guy and Tenten turned their attention back to Lee with concerned eyes.

"Lee..." Tenten took a step towards him.

Lee put on a grin. "Do not worry, Tenten. I am fine. Shall we begin our training?"

Tenten put on a hesitant smile and nodded.

* * *

Monday practice Sakura came on time. Lee lost track of time doing pre-warm-up exercises by punching a wooden dummy when someone tapped his shoulder. When he turned around to see the pink-haired kunoichi smiling sweetly at him his eyes immediately lit up and he put on a gawky grin.

"Oh! Sakura! Good afternoon!"

"Likewise, Lee."

"I apologize for not noticing you sooner."

"No need to apologize. Why are you training before our usual training time? Will I have to worry about you tiring out faster than usual?" Sakura put her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised.

"I simply worry that you will beat me one day in our sparring matches and I will no longer have any right to call myself a taijutsu master," he joked. "That is why I must train even harder than before to make sure that does not happen. I swear to you that it will not affect our genjutsu training."

Sakura eyed Lee, holding back a smile. "Is that so? I thought you were more confident in yourself than that."

Lee leaned against the dummy and folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, though confidence is not the same as cockiness. I also have no issues acknowledging your talents in comparison to my own."

A coy smile spread across Sakura's face. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're complimenting me. But don't worry, if I beat you I promise I won't tell a soul so you can still go around calling yourself a taijutsu master."

"I appreciate the thought but do not worry, you will not be burdened with such a secret if I do not let you win," Lee smirked.

"_Let me_, you say? C'mon, Lee, let's start right now! I'll show you that you don't get to freely decide these things," Sakura declared, lifting her fists into a fighting pose, a confident grin on her face.

_That is the old Sakura I have missed,_ Lee mused.

Lee stepped away from the dummy and dropped into his signature fighting posture. "As you wish."

Lee won the sparring match as usual. Sakura cursed and promised him that she would get him one day. The two of them then settled down in their usual secluded spot in the forest. The two shinobi sat down across from each other. Sakura had Lee reverse his chakra a few more times in deep concentration to warm up before deciding it was time for the next step.

"I want you to reverse your chakra while looking me in the eyes," Sakura stated.

Lee blinked. "Why is that?"

"You need to be able to reverse your chakra while grounded in the real world and all its distractions, not deeply in your own mind."

"That makes sense! All right! Let us start!" Lee exclaimed, eager as ever.

Sakura's eyes glinted with amusement and placed her hand on Lee's chest once again. "Whenever you're ready."

Out of habit Lee closed his eyes but he immediately realized his mistake and forced them open. When his eyes locked with Sakura's she nodded in approval.

Lee attempted to focus on his chakra flow but now that he could no longer block out sights and sounds he had a hard time locating it. The trees rustled in the breeze; the birds chirped and darted through the trees. The grass tickled his open toes and the gentle pressure of Sakura's hand on his chest brought focus to his heart thumping in his chest. All of it was a distraction. Though the biggest distraction of all was the kunoichi seated in front of him. The longer he looked into her twinkling jade-green eyes the more uncomfortable Lee was, and the harder it was to find his chakra. The corner of Sakura's mouth twitched up into a mischievous smirk. Lee was sure she could plainly see his discomfort now. Unable to look at her any longer he glanced his eyes away, heat rising in his cheeks.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Sakura giggled. "Looking others in the eyes for prolonged period of time makes everyone uncomfortable. That's why I picked it for your training."

Lee hesitantly met eyes with her again. "You are not wrong," Lee said, fidgeting in place. "Though I could not sense any discomfort from you."

Sakura shrugged. "When you're controlling the situation it's not as weird. So I'm sorry, you're the only one who gets to suffer here," she teased.

Lee pouted. "Very well, I will overcome this challenge alone."

Silence fell between them again as Lee stared intently into Sakura's eyes, eyebrows furrowed in focus. He tried not to think of the situation between them as he focused in on her pupils. Using them at a concentration point he searched within himself for his chakra once more. Once he caught a hint of it a bird chirp broke his concentration and he was pulled out of his chakra stream. He blinked.

"Keep on trying," Sakura encouraged.

Lee smiled in appreciation and regathered his focus.

Monday's practice session ended with Lee able to identify his chakra stream completely, but unfortunately attempting to reverse it would have to wait for another day. After staring into Sakura's eyes for so long he did learn a few of their subtleties. Her pupils widened slightly whenever Lee broken concentration and they narrowed in focus when Lee was ready to try again. Her eyes wavered when Lee could hear scurrying animals behind him out of a resisted habit of any cautious shinobi to identify possible threats. Her irises were splashes and streaks of lighter and darker greens, reminiscent of a beautiful jade stone. Lee wondered if he would learn something new about her eyes every time they practiced this way.

When they parted ways Sakura smiled widely at him and said she would see him again tomorrow. Lee waved as she walked away.

He loved how much happier she seemed that day. Not only that, something seemed to have changed between them since they last talked. Some of the formality had left; instead there was a casual lightheartedness to their interactions. Sakura's old spunkiness had returned. When Lee locked eyes with her there was a brightness he had not seen in them for a long time and that particular fondness in her eyes was reserved for him, the man who understood her struggles from identical experience. Those jade eyes looked upon him with wordless acknowledgement and respect and that filled Lee with warmth. He hoped when she looked him in the eyes she could see and feel the same thing.

Had he done it? Had Lee helped Sakura break her cycle of depression through their training? He was not sure. He did not want to stroke his ego by thinking that he was the sole reason she was like this today. Even if he had nothing to do with it Lee would still be overjoyed. He hoped that she remained this way forever.

* * *

Tuesday morning Lee caught sight of Sasuke for the first time in months. He was cloaked and his hair was growing out so Lee almost did not recognize him until they locked eyes. Sasuke's dark eyes stared at Lee's for only a moment before he returned his gaze back to the street in front of him. They passed each other without saying a single word to each other.

A cold chill filled Lee. That Rinnegan seemed to stare deep within Lee's soul. Terrible memories of the war flashed in his mind. Lee losing Neji and the fear that he would also lose Guy to the Eight Gates to take down Madara, who also had those judging Rinnegan eyes. Then memories of being trapped in Infinite Tsukuyomi for what felt like a lifetime; taunted with the false bittersweet memories of Neji, alive once more, and Sakura miraculously returning his affections. His_ former_ affections, Lee reminded himself.

Tuesday afternoon Sakura did not show until an hour later than expected. Lee had glumly wondered if perhaps she was having another dinner with Naruto as he began practice on his own.

"Hey," a quiet voice sounded behind him, so quiet he almost missed it over the dull thuds of his fists on the wooden dummy.

Lee turned around. This time he was not met with a sweet smile from the pink kunoichi. Instead the corners of her lips sunk down, dark circles were under her once bright eyes and her posture rigid rather than relaxed. The transformation between Monday's Sakura and today's was alarming. This was the Sakura Lee used to pass on the streets: sullen and withdrawn. What had happened to yesterday's Sakura?

Lee must have been staring at her for too long because Sakura spoke up once again. "...Sorry for being late. I was... kept later at work."

"It is not a problem. I am just happy you came," Lee responded, giving her a worried smile.

Sakura nodded. "Shall we start with our usual sparring match?"

"Of course."

Sakura's moves were sluggish and did not have the enthusiasm they did the day before. Lee easily avoided her sloppy punches and his counters often ended up with her losing her balance. Lee stopped the match early, insisting that his earlier training that day had wore him out. Sakura took the excuse well enough. Lee offered her a hand to help her up off the ground, she took it, and they headed to their genjutsu training spot.

_I will just ask her how she is doing. I will not pry,_ Lee promised himself.

"Are you okay today, Sakura?" Lee asked, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Of course. Why would I not be?"

"You are positive? You seem different than you were yesterday so I am worried." Sakura's posture stiffened. Lee quickly added, "I just do not want you to feel obligated to train with me if you are not well, that is all."

"Just please be your usual self and I will be fine," Sakura said, giving Lee a strained smile. "Anyway, shall we start?"

Lee hesitantly nodded.

As they sat down to train troubled thoughts swirled in Lee's head when he looked into Sakura's eyes. He found himself intently studying them instead and all their differences compared to the day before. Her eyes were dull and unfocused; their vibrant colors seemed faded. Lines of strain hid underneath them; her eyes lacked the warmth and attentiveness they did the day before.

_Sasuke..._ Lee clenched his fists in his lap. He had to be the reason why she was like this. He had probably returned the night before and upset her. _What did you do to her?_

More than anything at that moment Lee wanted to punch Sasuke hard in his Uchiha face in the hopes that it would knock sense into that cold man. How dare he drown Sakura's warmth and joy in his own frigid demeanor. How could he not to everything in his power to make sure a smile remained on that beautiful face? How could one take a wonderful woman like Sakura for granted?

"Lee?" Sakura broke him out of his thoughts. "Having trouble finding it again?"

Lee blinked, refocusing on the real world. Sakura was waiting for an answer. "Er, yes."

"Let me suggest something I should have mentioned yesterday. Hold up one of your hands in front of you like this." Sakura raised her free hand in front of her and held it with the first two fingers pointing out together. Lee recognized it as gesture Guy would use for genjutsu dissipation. "This is a trick to help you focus. Concentrate on the chakra at your fingertips and follow it down to your core."

_I need to stop distracting myself over something that is none of my business, _Lee thought, thinking back to Tenten's advice. Yet the idea of sitting idly by while Sakura suffered agitated him. _Though is it right to ignore a friend in suffering? It feels wrong._

"Yes, Sakura!" Lee mimicked her gesture, pushing any remaining troubling thoughts to the back of his mind.

Lee was able to locate his chakra stream but he could not find the inner strength to reverse it. Every time he sensed Sakura's chakra inside of him his thoughts wandered back to his concern for her and his anger towards Sasuke. With each attempt Lee became increasingly frustrated.

"You're tense," Sakura commented mildly. "Is everything okay?" she asked as though mimicking his own question earlier to her.

_I cannot make things awkward like that one night,_ Lee told himself. Sakura had thankfully agreed to forget that moment between them. He did not wish to test his luck again.

Lee broke eye contact with Sakura momentarily out of discomfort. Lee nodded. "Of course!" he exclaimed, mustering up all the enthusiasm he could. "I just have a few things on my mind, that is all."

"Oh? Like what?" Sakura innocently asked.

"Well..." Lee thought for a moment. "I am concerned that I will not be able to become a jounin." It was the truth, though not what was troubling Lee at that particular moment. He figured it would suffice.

"Why?"

"Tenten says that I need to be able to manipulate two elemental chakras before I can become a jounin. I cannot manipulate any element. It seems I might not be able to rise any higher than a tokujo because of my taijutsu focus."

"Tokujo is still a respected rank. Many of them outclass regular jounin in their respective focus. When jounin call in tokujo they are saying 'We're not good enough in this particular talent. We need an expert.' So please do not think that if you are stuck a tokujo that people will look down on you." Sakura gave a soft, reassuring smile but it only lasted for a fleeting moment.

"I never thought of it that way," Lee admitted. "Thank you."

Sakura studied him for a moment with a serious expression. "You don't seem entirely convinced."

Lee rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe so. While my goal is to prove to the world that I can be a splendid shinobi without ninjutsu and genjutsu I would also like to be able catch up to Guy, Neji, you and our other jounin friends. I do not want to be left behind and become stagnant. I... I wish to be an equal to you and the others, not a subordinate."

"I relate to your desire to want to catch up when you feel like you're falling behind, but Lee, you don't need a title or rank to prove your talents as a shinobi. You are already at jounin-level if you ask me. Naruto was a genin until he became Hokage. Was he not incredibly powerful as a genin?"

"You make a fair point," Lee admitted. Not only that, Naruto would be a Hokage to ignore official rank in favor of his personal assessment of shinobi skill.

"Even if all you end up with is a tokujo rank because the bureaucracy can't see how exceptional you are, I know all our friends will see you as what you are, not just your rank. If we fight on the battlefield again you will be my equal even if our ranks differ."

_Sakura... You were supposed to the troubled one here yet here you are consoling me instead._

Lee eyes watered, touched. "Thank you, Sakura. I feel I can now put this concern behind me. I feel like a new man!"

"Anytime, Lee. At least one of us needs a bit more enthusiasm right now." The corners of her mouth tilted ever so slightly upwards.

"But I would prefer both of us to have this enthusiasm! What can I do for you so we can be equivalent in these matters?" Lee asked lightheartedly, but his eyes intently searched hers for an answer.

Sakura huffed in amusement. "As I said, just be yourself, Lee. That is enough for me."

"I can do that."

Lee flashed a grin at her. Despite the lines under her eyes and her rigid posture a sincere smile spread across Sakura's face.

_That is the smile I was looking for,_ Lee thought.

Through the week Sakura's mood and demeanor gradually improved. Lee assumed it was due to Sasuke leaving Konoha once more. From what Lee noticed whenever Sasuke returned to the village Sakura's mood would immediately dip back down to the withdrawn, sullen state it once was. At the end of the week Lee happily noticed that Sakura's cheerful mood had returned to her... but the next day it went back down to the low levels it had been on Tuesday when Lee had run into Sasuke. The Uchiha had returned to Konoha, Lee assumed.

Despite ongoing concern for her Lee did his best to remain his cheerful, eccentric self. Sakura had told him that being himself would help her, so he did his best to do exactly that. It seemed to work, as Sakura gradually would reopen to her old self.

But...

Lee was not satisfied. He wanted Sakura to be happy all of the time, not just swinging back and forth between happiness and melancholy. What could he do? The problem appeared to be Sasuke, her husband, but Lee was in no place to interfere. What would he do anyway? Approach Sasuke and demand her treat her better or else? No, Lee did not even know what Sasuke was doing to Sakura and he did not want to think on the possibilities and enrage himself. Tell Sakura that Sasuke does not deserve her? No, it would be disrespectful and make it seem like he was trying to take advantage of her. Lee would be mortified if Sakura thought that about him. Lee had already promised he would help her with all her troubles, but did that mean waiting for her to approach him for help first?

Lee had never been involved with such a sticky situation before so he did not know and it deeply bothered him. How could he make due on his promise if he just sat back and did nothing even though there was a problem so plainly in front of him? He wish he knew.

* * *

**A/N: **So I've been re-reading Naruto. I'm around chapter 450 already so it's been nice getting refreshed on the events that occurred. As a result I think I have a better understanding of the characters which is great for my fanfic writing!

I was also going to do more with this chapter but things ended up getting longer than expected. I cut out a section from this chapter that will be pushed back to next chapter. :)


	13. Ignorance

**A/N:** I've been motivated to write faster so here's another chapter already! :)

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Ignorance **

* * *

"Alright, Lee," Sakura said. "You've mastered reversing your chakra without meditation. I think it's time for you to try and break out of an actual genjutsu." She looked proudly at him as they sat across from each other in their usual secluded spot.

"W-Wow, really?!" Lee stammered, overjoyed. An impossibly large grin spread across his face. He leapt to his feet and readied himself in a ready pose. "I am ready whenever you are, Sakura."

Sakura chortled and stood up as well, but slower and calmly. She took a few steps back to put distance between the two of them. "This will be a a low-level genjutsu but it'll be reinforced so you can't just break out of it by realizing it's a genjutsu. Good luck, Lee."

A heavier breeze blew past him towards Sakura, and then she slowly disintegrated into pink petals, and they danced away in the wind. Lee rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Sakura must have done the hand signs when he was not looking. Suddenly the winds started to pick up and swirl around him, carrying hundreds of petals with their sweet scent. Faster they spun, until Lee was in the eye of a whirlwind of petals. Mesmerized, Lee reached out a hand into the strong winds as the petals whipped around. The petals gently brushed along his fingers.

_What a beautiful genjutsu,_ Lee thought.

Then the winds picked up, and the petals began to spin aggressively closer to him, steadily shrinking the available space he had. Alarmed, Lee quickly raised his hand in the pose Sakura showed him. He focused on the chakra flowing through his fingertips before following it back down to his core.

_Dissipate!_ Lee commanded.

He began his chakra flow reversal but he could feel a force pushing back, refusing to let him change his chakra's path.

The petals were closing in; he was starting to feel the claustrophobia build.

Nervous, Lee began to push back harder, but he felt that the more forceful he pushed the more Sakura's genjutsu wrenched control of his system.

Lee no longer had any space in the eye of the whirlwind. The petals were now so densely packed that he could not see the other side. As a last ditch effort Lee attempted to dive through the petals to safety on the other side. Instead he bounced off the spinning vortex of petals back into his spot. He was trapped. Suddenly the petals all dived towards him from all directions, clinging to every inch of his body. Lee struggled to escape but the petals held fast, trapping him in a stiff cocoon, leaving nothing but his head exposed.

Panicking, Lee called to his chakra stream again, pushing against the genjutsu force with more haste but to no avail.

The cocoon tipped backwards and Lee landed on the ground with an "Oof!"

"Having trouble?" Sakura's voice echoed around him. The petals began to shift, forming a large shape above him until it resembled a human form, then solidified into Sakura herself. Sakura was sitting casually on his cocooned chest, her legs folded.

"S-Sakura?!" Lee struggled once more, but the remaining petals still clung tightly to him.

"You're getting too distracted by the genjutsu. _Focus_," Sakura instructed, studying her fingernails.

"I have tried, Sakura, but when I push back on the genjutsu's control it becomes even harder to fight it off," Lee admitted shamefully.

"You're letting your emotions distract you from control of your chakra pathway. Take a deep breath and relax. I won't hurt you in here. I promise." Sakura flashed a reassuring smile before once again disintegrating into petals.

_Sakura's right. I need to focus. _

Lee took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He felt his nerves relax and his mind calm. Once again he focused on his chakra stream. He sensed the genjutsu force deep within him and slowly pushed. He felt the genjutsu stubbornly push back but he continued his assault, building up the force until he felt the genjutsu start to cave.

_Just a bit more..._

* * *

Sakura watched Lee silently as he struggled through the genjutsu. The two of them had not moved from when she had activated the genjutsu. Lee stood in place, eyes darting back and forth yet focused far away. She could feel him resisting her genjutsu as she maintained it.

_You can do it, Lee... I believe in you,_ Sakura urged.

Suddenly Lee's shaky resistance focused to brunt force, shoving aggressively back at Sakura's genjutsu. It caught Sakura off-guard and she almost lost control right then and there. She doubled her focus on repelling him back. If he was going to break the genjutsu fairly she had to keep it adequately strong. Her resistance did not last long. She could feel Lee putting his all into it and paired with her lower chakra stamina and the lower level of the jutsu, her genjutsu snapped, freeing Lee.

Lee blinked, his eyes refocusing. He locked eyes with her, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Y-You did it!" Sakura said gleefully, rushing up to him. She clasped his shoulders in congratulations, full of pride. "You broke your first genjutsu!"

Lee stared blankly at her as the news sunk in. "I... I actually did it," he breathed in disbelief. "I did it!" Overcome with joy, Lee picked Sakura up by her waist and spun her. "I did it!" Lee let out a victorious, relieved laugh. "Thank you, Sakura! It is all thanks to you!" Sakura laughed with Lee as she spun him, her eyes filled with pride while his with gratitude. Lee then gently set her back on her feet.

"I'm so proud of you Lee," Sakura said, giddy.

"And I am grateful to have such an amazing teacher! It brings me great joy to see that I can learn important shinobi skills like this even with my disadvantages." Overcome with emotion, tears began to flow down Lee's cheeks. He rubbed his wet eyes on his arm.

Sakura's eyebrow raised in slight concern. "Er, no need to cry, Lee, it's okay."

"I apologize for my unsightly tears, Sakura. I am just positively overjoyed!"

Sakura dug through her bag attached to her waist and produced a handkerchief. "Here."

Lee gratefully took it and dabbed his watering eyes until they were dry again. "T-Thank you."

Lee handed back the embarrassingly soaked handkerchief and Sakura politely took it and placed it back in her bag.

"Lee, I'm very impressed that you were able to break out of my genjutsu on your first try. It really shows how far you've come from where we first started."

Lee beamed. "Thank you. If I might ask, where did you learn your genjutsu?"

"Kurenai, actually. Even if she's busy raising her child she could easily teach me in her living room," Sakura said thoughtfully.

"Ah, of course! Only the village's best genjutsu expert would suffice as a teacher for you, Sakura."

Sakura nodded. "She always liked her flower-themed genjutsu. I learned a lot of other fun ones I can show you later," she winked mischievously with an edge of sadism to her voice.

"...Oh?" Lee's eyes widened, his eyes flashing between confusion, embarrassment, and fear.

"But I digress," Sakura said, brushing off her previous comment. "We can practice more another day."

"But Sakura!" Lee protested.

"No buts!" Sakura shook his finger at him sternly. "You'll have to be patient."

"Okay..." Lee's shoulders slouched in disappointment.

Sakura's features then softened. "Don't worry, we still have plenty of time to practice. I promise you'll be a great genjutsu dispeller when I'm done with you," she smiled at him confidently and Lee's expression immediately brightened. "C'mon, let's head home."

Lee obediently followed.

Sakura glanced over at Lee as they walked. Lee caught her staring at him and he offered her a heartwarming smile. It was a smile that seemed to say many things, whether it was gratitude, reassurance, or fondness. Sakura could not help but smile warmly back.

Sakura acknowledged that she had grown closer to Lee as they had trained together. When he succeeded he shared his happiness with her, when she was feeling down Lee's diligently tried to cheer her up, albeit subtly. He never asked about Sasuke and that made Sakura happy. While they trained she could forget all about her marriage troubles as if it were all just an old nightmare. Sakura found herself smiling more in his presence... it felt good and simply perfect.

Lee was an interesting fellow. Here she was, now good friends with the oddest man in Konoha, the man she first felt repulsed by when he introduced himself to her those many years ago. Now his oddities were almost endearing and part of what made Lee uniquely _Lee -_ green jumpsuit, bowl cut, eyebrows, and all. On top of that, the two of them were so closely alike it was almost spooky. Sharing the same struggles and insecurities as they grew up made Sakura appreciate Lee and who he was all the more. Similarly she felt Lee looked at her a bit differently now for the same reasons. It made her feel good to have a bond with someone she could truly understand. She never had that with anyone else before, not even Ino. She wondered if this is what Naruto and Sasuke first felt for each other all those years ago as genin, that started that unbreakable eternal friendship that they held now.

Perhaps she ought to do her best to hold on to this blossoming friendship that she had with Lee. If she did nothing after she completed training Lee would they just go back to only seeing each other on the streets? The thought upset Sakura more than she thought it would.

When Lee and Sakura had gotten to the point where they normally split off Sakura stopped and faced Lee. Lee looked down at her and tilted his head slightly. Sakura looked up at him and stared at his dark eyes for a moment, shifting in place.

"What is it, Sakura?" Lee asked gently. Lee was too good at reading her.

Sakura bit her lip, looking at her feet. "Lee, I... I just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed the time we spent together and I consider you a good friend." She then looked back up at him, her eyes soft and vulnerable. She hoped that he would not see her as silly for saying such a thing.

Lee's eyebrows raised. "I consider you a good friend too," he grinned warmly in return.

Sakura smiled back, reassured. "So I was wondering if you wanted to see each other outside of training and the hospital - as friends - rather than student-teacher and patient-doctor."

Lee blinked. "O-Of course I would! I would be honored!" he stammered.

Sakura laughed, her eyes lighting up in relief. "Perfect! Tomorrow would you like to take a break from training and instead go out and grab dinner to celebrate your first genjutsu dispel?"

Heat rose to Lee's cheeks. "I would love to!"

"Great, I haven't been out in forever," Sakura said, smiling more to herself than anyone else at that moment. "Want to meet me at my house at five? Since you now know where that is after you accidentally followed me home that one evening."

"Yes, that I can do," Lee said sheepishly.

"Alright, I'll see you then, Lee, okay?" Sakura's smile widened as she shifted her weight, ready to depart home.

A gawky, dopey grin spread across Lee's face before he could help it. "Yes, I will see you tomorrow!"

With that the two of them split ways. When Sakura glanced back there was a noticeable spring in Lee's step.

_He looks very happy,_ Sakura chuckled to herself. Watching the sudden, colorful changes of Lee's expressions was amusing. Catching Lee off-guard or flustered was one of her favorite of his expressions. Even if Lee attempted to disguise it he still could not hide his very expressive eyebrows.

Sakura found herself walking home with a smile plastered on her face. When was the last time she did that?

She could not deny that she was perhaps too excited to go out and eat with Lee. It had been forever after all, and Lee... In the past weeks Lee had been a fresh breath of relief in her busy and melancholy day - from his infectious optimism to his inspiring determination. It was addicting, Sakura could not help but think. When Lee smiled Sakura felt the edges of her mouth tug into a smile as well.

When Sakura opened her front door she almost ran into Sasuke. Sakura immediately recoiled, shocked. "O-Oh! Sasuke! You're back! Sorry, I almost bumped into you!"

Sasuke looked down on her, a frown on his face. He nodded. "I was just leaving, if you could excuse me."

Sakura immediately stepped aside. "Are you leaving the village already?" Sakura could not hide the disappointment in her voice.

Sasuke stopped beside her. "No, I plan to visit the Uchiha memorial to pay my respects."

"M-May, I come with?" Sakura's cheeks reddened in embarrassment, hoping she did not cross a line by asking.

Sasuke studied her quietly, as though thinking. "If you want."

Sakura nervously smiled and then bowed. "Thank you."

Sasuke smirked, maybe amused by her gratitude. "Let's go."

Sakura followed Sasuke as he lead the way.

The memorial was located where the old Uchiha compound approximately was before Pein destroyed Konoha. A slab of smooth marble towered over them, with the Uchiha symbol carved into it and below the names of all those murdered that fateful night in the compound. Included at the bottom was Itachi's name.

Sasuke and Sakura stopped a few feet in front of it. Sakura bowed her head respectfully as Sasuke stood silently beside her. She stole a glance at him and saw his eyes flash with grief. He then took a few more steps towards the memorial, close enough to trace his brother's name, and then what Sakura presumed to be his parents, with his fingertips.

_Sasuke... _Sakura thought, y_ou've been through so much pain, more than I could ever imagine..._

Sakura did not know that Itachi had massacred the Uchiha clan based around an unavoidable order until Naruto had publicly made a statement about it and erected the monument. She assumed Sasuke did not know it either until after it was too late, after he had killed his brother. To imagine killing his own brother who in the end had actually saved him brought a tightness to Sakura's chest.

Sasuke pulled his hand away and rummaged in his pack, pulling out a stick of incense. He lit it with a small huff of fire chakra then gingerly placed it beside the memorial. He then backed up until he was beside Sakura once more. Sasuke bowed his head, held his remaining hand up to his chest, and prayed. Sakura joined him, praying that the spirits of the Uchiha had found peace in the afterlife.

Sasuke's hand dropped to his side and his head rose when he was done. Sakura hesitantly reached for his hand and laced her fingers with his. He allowed it. She squeezed his hand, hoping that such a small gesture of support would help somehow. Sasuke continued to stare straight ahead at the memorial, silent.

"Sasuke..." Sakura said softly. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. They're at peace now, free from this harsh world, but they died needlessly." An edge formed in Sasuke's voice. "My brother, especially. He was cruelly chosen to slay his entire clan by Konoha and then exiled. Ignorant of Konoha's dirty secret until it was too late, I killed my dear brother."

Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder. "I can't imagine what that feels like. But at least Konoha has made amends. Naruto publicized the massacre as Konoha's heinous mistake as a lesson to be learned for future generations."

Sasuke's jaw tightened. "Is that enough? A mistake to learn for only one village while something like it happens in other villages?" he shot back, venom in his voice.

Sakura flinched, releasing her grip on his hand. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice meek. "Perhaps not. But if anyone could fix the state of the world it's Naruto."

Sasuke scoffed. "He prefers to play Hokage, blind that the Kages and the shinobi system is part of the problem."

"I don't understand..."

_Is Sasuke upset with Naruto?_

"You don't understand because you grew comfortably in the system. The system is all you know like everyone else in this damn world," he glared.

Sakura pulled away from Sasuke and faced him. "Then... then explain to me so I can learn!"

Sasuke's glare faded as he stared at her for a moment. A familiar condensing smirk graced his lips. "Hmph, you are annoying."

"Please Sasuke," she begged. "All I ever wanted to do was to help you. I could do nothing to save you from the darkness. Naruto did everything while I sat on the sidelines and cried, useless. Now all I want is a chance to redeem myself for my weakness. Let me _help_ you. But I cannot do that unless you explain."

Sasuke's eyes then softened, looking at her with now with perhaps pity. "Perhaps another time. I'll think on what you said."

But..." Sakura boiled with frustration. Why could he never give her a straight answer? Was she always supposed to play this game with him, fighting for insight into his thoughts? Why could Sakura so freely share thoughts with Lee back and forth, a friend, compared to her _husband_ where she was always in the dark?

_Why can't Sasuke be like Lee? _she caught herself thinking.

"Another time," Sasuke repeated, "because I must go and attend to business. Goodbye, Sakura." He closed the distance between them and gave her a chaste peck on the lips.

Sakura's face reddened in surprise, her frustration immediately subsided. "G-Goodbye, Sasuke," she breathed as her heart fluttered.

Sasuke smirked once more and then turned around, darted up the nearest building and vanished. Sakura stood there a few moments more, staring longingly up where he disappeared.

When Sakura made it home it was dark. She fixed herself a light meal, showered, and crawled into bed. Her thoughts drifted to Sasuke and immediately she was filled with frustration at both him and herself.

_Look at me, a married woman acting like a blushing schoolgirl as soon as he gives me affection,_ Sakura thought, burying her face in her pillow. _I was supposed to stand up to him to get him to share what's on his mind but I turned immediately compliant as soon as he kissed me. What's wrong with me?_ She sighed. I'll_ never be able to get Sasuke to open up to me if I keep on acting so passively around him. I need to be more like Naruto._

_Naruto..._

Sasuke seemed to be upset at Naruto, perhaps about the shinobi system that he mentioned.

_What's wrong with the shinobi system?_ Sakura wondered.

Yes, bad things have happened under it but it was infinitely better than the constant bloodshed that occurred before the hidden village system was put into place. It was the best system they have had so far. Good things have happened under it too. Sakura still remembers the smiles on the faces of the poor people of that village in the Land of Water after Team 7 had freed them from Zabuza's terror. There had been many other countless missions where she had left smiling faces behind her.

But...

Many of her formidable opponents in these missions had been shinobi that had been hurt by the system who were angry and bitter. The Hidden Villages had all done something terrible in their pasts. Konoha was responsible for the massacre of the Uchiha. Kirigakure used to be known as the Village of the Bloody Mist for a reason - Academy students were forced to fight to the death to graduate. The other villages each had their own shameful and gruesome history.

_Is that what Sasuke meant?_

Certainly the good outshined the bad, Sakura assumed. Especially nowadays. The villages were currently not run by gruesome Kages like in the past, Naruto being a primary example of that. The shinobi world came together as allies to fight off Madara from destroying everything about this world. That had to mean something, right?

...But is she wrong? Is she too leniently excusing the mistakes of the past? Is that what Sasuke meant about her ignorance?

If Sasuke is upset at the current system has he been trying to work with Naruto to change things? Is Naruto unwilling to budge?

She had so many questions she wanted to ask but she knew Sasuke would not patiently explain things to her. Perhaps she should approach Naruto?

Sakura felt self-satisfaction warm her chest. _Yes, that is what I'll do,_ Sakura thought._ I'll find time to ask Naruto about it. He'll be more open about it with me._

Sakura drifted off to sleep easily than she had ever before in her bed.

* * *

**A/N:** And another chapter done, probably the last one before the next semester begins. Updates will probably be a lot more slower then but just be patient with me. I plan to finish this story.


	14. In the Dark

**A/N:** Long time no see! Sorry for the lack of update for so long. This was my last semester at college and juggling 19 credit hours was rough. So yeah I've graduated! And I even have a job lined up already but I won't be starting it for several weeks. This means more time to pick up my fanfiction! ;) Expect more frequent updates. I apologize for any rusty writing. It's been awhile so I need to work on getting back in the groove of things.

Thank you those who reviewed my fanfic during my absence, sad that there wasn't any more to read. You guys were a big motivator to return to this story to begin writing more as soon as possible because I know what it's like to get really into a fanfic only to find that it hasn't been updated in awhile. So here's the next chapter after over 5 months!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**In the Dark**

* * *

Sakura looked up at the Hokage's official office building as it loomed over her. She wanted to know why Sasuke was acting strange the evening before - to understand what was troubling him - and if he refused to share that with her she would have to go to the only one that would know - Naruto. The guard-nin did not trouble her from their hiding spots as she entered the building.

The receptionist behind the desk greeted her with a smile. "Hello, Mrs. Uchiha! Do you have an appointment with the Hokage?"

Sakura stood stiffly. "No I don't, but it's important."

The receptionist clucked her tongue in disappointment. "That's too bad. The Hokage is busy at the moment. Would you like to set an appointment for a later date?"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "No, I wouldn't."

"Then I'm sorry, Mrs. Uchiha, but then you cannot see the Hokage."

Sakura's jaw clenched. "My husband seems to have little issue with visiting him whenever he likes. As a fellow member of Team 7 then that right will extend to me."

"But-"

"If you disagree you're welcome to try and stop me," Sakura huffed as she walked through the doorway that led to Naruto's office. The receptionist wisely left her be.

Sakura climbed the familiar circular stairs before arriving at the office door. She remembered visiting this building often as Tsunade's apprentice but it had been awhile since she had last been there. Sakura then took in a deep breath, readying her courage.

_You can do this, Sakura. Don't relent. _

Before she opened the door she heard angry voices rising from behind the door. One was distinctly Naruto's, and the other she determined to be Shikamaru.

"Naruto, something else is going on that he's not telling us!" Shikamaru protested.

"Enough, Shikamaru!" Naruto silenced.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. _Are they talking about Sasuke? _

Without a second thought Sakura barged into the room. Naruto was sitting behind his desk and Shikamaru stood before him. The two of them turned their heads to her, eyes widened in shock at the sudden interruption.

"Sakura...?" Naruto said, confused.

"Who were you two just talking about right now?" Sakura questioned, her eyes fierce. "Is it Sasuke?"

Shikamaru spoke up first. "That is between the Hokage and his advisor."

"If it's about Sasuke, as his wife, I deserve to know too," Sakura argued. She then looked to Naruto expectantly.

Naruto hesitated, glancing away from Sakura's piercing gaze. "Shikamaru, if you could excuse us for a moment."

Shikamaru sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "How troublesome." With that he strolled out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Sakura and Naruto were now alone.

"...So?" Sakura spoke up first.

"It's as Shikamaru said. I can't tell you that, Sakura," Naruto replied with steely eyes. "But, past that, it's nice to see that you've actually come to visit me!" A sudden grin spread across Naruto's face. "Sounds like you're concerned for Sasuke though, huh? Is something the matter with him other than the usual?"

Sakura shifted on her feet, embarrassed. Perhaps she should not have jumped immediately to thinking the person they were talking about was Sasuke like some crazy person. "Yeah, and I was hoping as his best friend that you could help me."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Sasuke was acting strangely the other night. Did the two of you fight recently over something?" Sakura asked, regaining her determination.

"Don't we always fight? It's kinda hard to remember one fight from the other," Naruto chuckled, but Sakura sensed a strain in his voice.

"Yeah, but over the shinobi system?" Sakura implored.

Naruto's eyes widened momentarily. Naruto knew what she was talking about. "I... I dunno, Sakura! Maybe! I remember arguing over something dumb like that, yeah. Don't remember the details exactly. Didn't seem like that big of a deal to me."

_He's lying._

Sakura sighed. "Do you remember _anything_ about what he said? He was talking about it the other day but wouldn't explain anything to me. I thought... maybe if I could understand what was troubling him so much that I could help him out for once."

Naruto's blue eyes looked intently at her for a moment, in thought. "Even with him back on our side, some of his opinions haven't changed. He wants me to make big changes with my position and then gets angry when I won't budge." Naruto chuckled. "He's just idealistic like me and our different ideas cause us to butt heads. Plus he's an arrogant bastard, so he thinks he understands what I can or can't do as Hokage when he doesn't. Pretty much he's been going on about changing the whole shinobi system to prevent future abuses like in the past. It's as simple as that."

At least Sakura got that right, that Sasuke was upset about things that had happened in the past. "But... how do I _help_ him?" Sakura's voice trembled slightly. "I honestly don't know. I feel so incompetent. How do I make him feel better about the things he can't change?"

Naruto stood up from his desk and walked over to Sakura, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Hey! Sakura! It's okay, don't worry. Just be yourself, and Sasuke should be happy with that, right? Just use some of that Sakura charm that got him to marry you. I'm sure he'd like that."

_'Sakura charm,' sure, _she bitterly thought. The only thing Sasuke is remotely interested in is being outside of this village and Naruto.

"That's not going to change now he feels."

"No one can change that, Sakura. Sometimes you just have to be there to support the people you love even if you can't change how they feel. They can at least appreciate that."

"What if Sasuke won't let me help him?"

"Ha, we already know what that's like. You remember how hard it was to help Sasuke come back to the village. It takes an arm and a leg to get through to him sometimes. Hell, I _did_ give up my old arm for that. But even if he sometimes doesn't appreciate it I'm still a big believer that you should still give your full support to them until they finally feel ready to accept it."

Sakura nodded glumly. So according to Naruto it would be nearly impossible to reach Sasuke. "What is Sasuke doing on these long missions? It seems like he doesn't want to stay around the village or he has something very important to him outside of it. And... I don't know. I've been wanting to know for the longest time but he's never been straight with me. Ever since we've gotten married he's been constantly gone and... and I miss him. Maybe if he's home more I could support him more."

Naruto's hand dropped from her shoulder. "I can't say, Sakura. It's classified. I'm sorry."

"Could you at least... maybe assign him on shorter missions every once awhile?" Sakura pleaded. "For me?"

"...I'll try," Naruto said, but Sakura could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

Sakura slowly nodded, knowing that he would not promise her that. "...Thank you," she still said. "I'm sorry for interrupting you. I'll leave now."

"Hey, you didn't bother me at all," Naruto assured. "Feel free to drop by anytime, Sakura."

Sakura gave a tight smile and left the room, roughly shutting door behind her. Not even Naruto was willing to fully share things about Sasuke, the one person she thought that would be open with her. She would remain in the dark. Forever maybe. Naruto has always had the strength and mental fortitude to always hold a torch for someone, no matter how unwilling. Sakura was not as strong.

When she paced around the corner before descending the stairs a hand grabbed her arm, halting her.

"Sakura," Shikamaru greeted, releasing her arm.

"What do you want, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, impatient to leave so she could be alone.

"Knowing Naruto he didn't tell you anything of substance, am I right?" Shikamaru said, sounding irritated as usual.

Sakura flinched.

Shikamaru nodded. "Thought so. Look, I can tell you're suffering by being in the dark. I think it's important to reach out to some people to prevent resentment and thus prevent them from doing something dumb later on because of their feelings. I don't need more work to deal with."

"What are you saying?" Sakura said, guarded.

"I'm saying that, yes, we were talking about your husband before you barged in and I'd like ask you something about him."

Sakura's eyes lit up at the small scrap of information Shikamaru rewarded her. "Yes?"

Shikamaru glanced back and forth down the hallway, making sure that no one was near. "Has Sasuke said anything about his missions when he returns?"

"No, not at all. That's part of the reason I came to see Naruto. The only thing I know is that its 'for the benefit of Konoha'; nothing else."

"Figures. Anything else you've observed that stands out?"

"Sometimes he comes home injured and I heal him, but that's it. Injuries are to be expected for shinobi, but I'm curious as to what has been able to harm someone so impossibly strong," Sakura responded. "Why are you even asking me these questions?"

"Because something isn't matching up," Shikamaru said, hushed. "He's been acting odd about these trivial missions he insists to be assigned on and Naruto refuses to see a problem with that. Look, Sakura. Since you and Naruto see him the most I want you to keep an eye out on him for anything suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Sakura said, alarmed. "Are you implying Sasuke is going to betray Konoha again?"

"No. I just know that Sasuke has a rebellious streak in him so he might do something arrogant while operating under Konoha's name. While people in Konoha tolerate him not many other villages are willing to do the same. They'd be itching for an excuse to ignore Kakashi's pardon. This is supposed to be a time of peace so I don't want to have to deal with juggling straining relations between villages," Shikamaru sighed. "As his wife, I'm sure you wouldn't want him to do something stupid. Sometimes wives need to prevent their husbands from being idiots. So let me know if you see anything and I'll keep you somewhat in the loop."

Sakura's eyes softened, full of gratitude. "Thank you, Shikamaru. I will."

"Cool. See you around then." Shikamaru then strolled off, leaving her be.

* * *

As Sakura sorted through her clothing, picking what she would wear for dinner with Lee, she thought back to what both Naruto and Shikamaru told her. While they did not tell her everything she wanted to know she was able to identify snippets of information after analyzing their words once she calmed her distracting emotions. From what Shikamaru told her, Sasuke seemed to be the one calling the shots on what missions he goes on, not Naruto. That is very atypical for a Hokage. Is Naruto being a pushover to Sasuke perhaps? But why would Naruto let Sasuke do that? From what Sakura knew of Naruto, he lets no one bully him. Especially not Sasuke. What would cause Naruto to bend for Sasuke?

Shikamaru also implied that Sasuke was doing something odd on these missions. Perhaps he has been taking way too long to accomplish them for a shinobi of his caliber? That might be why every mission he's been consistently gone for long periods of time. Shikamaru thought that Sasuke would not defect again, but implied he might be pursing his own goals. These goals being...

_Changing the shinobi system? _Sakura guessed. That was the only clue Sasuke had ever given her. _But how?_

He was just one man. One powerful man, yes. But just one man with no clan influence nor political title. The only influence he would have would be through his strength or through his powerful connections - like Naruto. Naruto was unwilling to help him, so does that mean he will accomplish his goals solely through his own strength? Sasuke was never charismatic and the shinobi world at large still despises him despite his contributions to the war. So it seemed to Sakura that Sasuke could only accomplish this through force.

But...

Sakura was sure Sasuke did not want to cause more suffering than what had already happened during the war. He came back to Konoha because he saw what he did wrong and wanted to repent for it. Naruto had saved him from the darkness after all.

So, what was Sasuke doing? Or, is he even doing _anything_ at all? Maybe it's just a case of wanderlust. Before he came back to the village he was as free as a bird in the open sky. Back in Konoha he is a caged bird needing permission to leave his own home. Since the Hidden Villages operate under a militaristic society no one is permitted to leave unless assigned on a mission. If shinobi could just come and go as they please defecting would be easier and enemy-nin could steal village secrets even easier. It was a safety precaution. Sakura did not mind personally, and she assumed many of her peers did not either. They are given their chance to explore the world through their missions, and this system is what she had always been used to. She imagined Sasuke, after being free to do what he liked for so many years, could have difficulty adjusting back to this system.

Yes, perhaps that was simply it. After all, one time he did cryptically tell her that 'there were many parts of the shinobi world he hadn't seen' when she had asked where he was going. Perhaps being nothing but a stranger was appealing to him rather than staying around a village that barely tolerates his existence.

_Then, why bother with marrying me in the first place?_ Sakura wondered, her chest tightening.

He implied that marrying her was a first step to reintegrate into Konoha society, but is that really what he wanted if he was not making an effort to even stay around Konoha? He did not even want to use her to rebuild his clan, as he told her that his goals had changed. What was even the point of humoring her with those rare, placating kisses he gave her? His own amusement? To keep her from making things more difficult for him by protesting against his conscious isolation of her?

Feelings of dejection and anger swirled inside of her. If Sasuke was not even trying in their relationship, why should _she_ even be trying? She was _struggling, _doing her best to understand Sasuke even if he did not want to help her. She had been asking questions and investigating solely because she wanted to become a better wife to him, but all he did - and everyone else - was push back. She could not take it anymore. What was the point if all she constantly did was fight to gain ground? She no longer wanted to be exhausted by all this fighting. She would prefer if this issue was a physical enemy she could fight rather than an internal one. At least punches were easier to land and the fight was much more straightforward.

_Sasuke, I'm not going to let you shut me up with affection any longer,_ Sakura thought to herself, a fire burning inside of her. _I'm not going to sit in silence while you continue to ignore me. _

* * *

**A/N: **This was originally going to be a short scene but then it extended to a whole chapter. Oops! We'll get to see Lee again next chapter.


	15. His Antithesis

**A/N:** Thank you very much for the kind reviews! I just received a very recent anon review (and after I picked up writing this again, a review from another user) that reminded me that it had been A YEAR since I had last updated this fic, and I have had this chapter in the works for approximately that time. I figured it was time to actually finish it and release it. So, thanks, anon! :) I admit that writing this chapter was a bit of a struggle and I've re-written several sections of it so that's part of the reason it took so long... and this has ended up being the longest chapter I've written yet. It wasn't meant to be that way, it just kinda kept on getting longer and longer.

For Lee's outfit, I imagined one of those traditional Chinese shirts, kind of like in Naruto Shippuden's ending credits #15 or like the clothing Tenten wears. It's just hard to say he was wearing a "traditional Chinese shirt" without there being a proper in-universe China in the Naruto world to reference.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**His Antithesis**

* * *

Sakura decided upon a casual-looking summer floral dress. It would be nice to wear some of her civilian clothes for once that did nothing but collect dust in her closet. She always either had to wear her work or kunoichi clothes so she never got the chance to wear something else from time to time.

She was excited to hang out with Lee for the first time outside of training or the hospital. She could forget her troubles with Sasuke for a time and enjoy the company of her infectiously optimistic friend, which was something she had needed in her life for quite some time, especially with Naruto busy with Hokage work. Would it be awkward hanging out with Lee without a business-like goal like training, a mission, or injury treatment? She did not know. She hoped not. What she had to do now was to shove her thoughts on Sasuke to the back of her mind so it would not interfere with her time with Lee despite how much she wanted to ponder and hypothesize. It made her antsy.

Not a second past five there was a knock at her door. As expected, when Sakura opened the door, she was greeted by Lee himself at her doorstep. He was wearing a looser-fitting traditional shirt in his signature color: green. It was an odd sight to see him wearing something not his jumpsuit - or even anything not skintight.

Lee greeted her with a large smile; his eyes immediately lit up upon meeting hers. "Good evening, Sakura!"

"Good evening, Lee. You're very timely," Sakura said with a welcoming smile, her shoulders immediately relaxing.

"Of course! Guy-sensei taught me that timeliness is a very important virtue! If I was not on time for our training sessions I had to walk around Konoha on my hands backwards."

Sakura recalled occasionally seeing Lee around Konoha doing exactly that during their genin days and simply giving him an odd look as he passed by. "Well, I'm not Guy-sensei so I wouldn't make you do anything crazy like that."

"I would not mind! Being late meant an additional opportunity to train!" Lee insisted. "If I were late to our genjutsu training sessions I would be deserving of some form of extra-hard training to make up for it!"

"Quite the masochist, aren't you?"

Lee blinked in confusion.

"Never mind that," Sakura excused herself before she would have to explain. "Enough talk about training! Let's grab a bite to eat."

Lee's expression turned back to a large grin. "Of course!"

Sakura stepped out of her home and locked the door behind her. She took the lead heading towards downtown Konoha, Lee following loyally beside her. "So, where would you like to eat?"

"I have just the thing!" Lee exclaimed excitedly before he began digging into his pocket. "I was not sure if we would have issues selecting a place, so I came up with a list of ten possible places to make sure we could find something that you enjoy!" He produced a crumpled up piece of paper and began to unravel it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Before he could begin to read it Sakura placed one of her hands on top of the note. Lee looked up at her, puzzled. "This is about _your_ success on the genjutsu dispel. Pick your favorite place and I'll find something on the menu I like."

"But-"

"I insist," Sakura interrupted before he could come up with a long-winded reason as to why he insisted they go to a place _she_ would like. Sakura understood with over-polite types you had to sometimes be forceful to make sure they did not neglect their own desires to please others.

"Well..." Lee hesitated, putting the crumpled note away. "I have something in mind."

"Great!" Sakura smiled, pleased that he did not make it more difficult than it had to be.

Lee brought them to a small, discrete restaurant with a tacky sign that read 'Leaf's Curry House: Home of the_ hottest_ curry!'

Sakura's stomach sunk. _Oh no. I hate spicy food._ But she told herself she would not complain. She told Lee to pick the restaurant after all. _Surely they have things other than curry on their menu, _she assured herself.

The waitress set them at a small table, setting menus down before leaving.

"So..." Sakura said as she picked up her menu. Lee smiled widely at her from across the table. "You like curry, huh?"

Lee nodded vigorously. "Curry is my favorite food. The hotter the better!"

Sakura scanned the menu choices. Curry, curry, and more curry. "Er, is all they serve here is curry?"

"Yep! It wouldn't be a proper curry house otherwise, I would think," Lee said.

"I see," Sakura replied. "Um, so Lee, what's your favorite menu item? I've never been here before."

"My favorite is the Flaming Hellfire Curry. I _highly_ recommend it for first timers!"

Sakura sweated. "Er, I don't do so well with spicy things. What's the... mildest thing I can get?"

"Hmm..." Lee scanned the menu, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I would say the Standard Curry. All the other ones are incrementally hotter."

_Great, and how hot is the Standard Curry?_ Sakura worried, but she kept her mouth shut.

When the waitress returned they placed their orders. The waitress chatted with Lee for a bit and welcomed him warmly. Seemed like Lee came here often. Sakura glanced up at Lee after the waitress left. When they locked eyes he gave her a wide, heartwarming smile. Sakura smiled back, albeit more timidly.

"Sakura, do you plan on being a part of the war memorial parade during the upcoming festival?" Lee asked earnestly, leaning a bit forward in his seat.

"Um, I'm not sure yet," Sakura responded, pondering to herself. "I've always been more interested in watching parades than being a part of them. They're harder to appreciate when you're in the middle of it yourself, I think."

"But you are a hero!" Lee insisted, his large eyebrows pinching together, which comically exaggerated how upset he was at her indecision. Sakura was starting to grow fond of that quirk of his. It was no difficult matter to guess his mood if she just watched his brows.

"As are you," Sakura giggled. "Just about every shinobi was a part of that war. If the whole village joined in on the parade, not as many would be able to appreciate it."

"But you are _Sakura Har_-" Lee cleared his throat, and continued, "You are _Sakura_. Second generation of the legendary sannin. You were instrumental in the war. Everyday people love seeing big heroes like yourself. It gives them hope for the future. If you take part in the parade I am sure we can march together as part of the Third Division if you are worried about being bored or not being around friends." He then flashed an inviting grin.

"Let me think on it," Sakura said, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. She did like the idea of spending it with Lee but that was a thought for another time.

"Okay!" Lee said enthusiastically, her noncommittal answer not swaying him in the slightest.

Sakura suddenly gasped. "I just realized today is Sunday! I'm not... getting in the way of training with your team, am I?"

Lee shook his head. "Not at all! Guy-sensei was very understanding as to why I had to leave training early. I will make up my lost time by running 400 laps around Konoha tomorrow morning!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. How could he always have so much energy and enthusiasm? "You're not going to wear yourself out too much before our training, right?"

"N-Not at all!" Lee insisted. "Sakura, I assure you that I will not compromise our training! I will be sure to take it easy."

Sakura laughed. "Take it easy? You? Impossible."

"Sakura, I am hurt that you do not trust me," Lee said with mock despair, made obvious by a coy smile.

"In other matters, yes. In this matter, not at all," Sakura jested.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their curry, held by the chef himself. "Lee! The man with the iron stomach! Miku told me that you were here so I came to say hello." The chef placed the plates down in front of the two shinobi. He then raised a curious eyebrow at Sakura with a grin. "And who might this fine lady be? Wait, could it be? Lady Tsunade's successor? Sakura... Haruno! Welcome to my quaint curry shop!" The chef bowed his head for a moment in respect.

Sakura sheepishly laughed, waving off his formality. "Thank you!"

The chef then looked back at Lee, who was sipping his tea contently. "Quite the catch you managed, eh?" he winked. "How'd you manage to charm someone big like this into a date?"

Lee suddenly choked on his tea, his face bright red. He set the tea down and descended into coughing fit. "We-" Cough. "This-" Cough, cough. "Not-" Cough.

The chef didn't wait for Lee to finish, instead he let out a hearty laugh, patted Lee sturdily on the back, and walked off.

Sakura sat stunned for a moment, heat rising to her face. _A date?! Does it look like we're on a date? _she thought.

Lee finally composed himself from his coughing fit, thumping his chest to clear it all out. The two made eye contact. Lee fidgeted in his seat, trying his best to hide his bashfulness with a polite smile. Sakura mirrored him. What was this fluttering in her stomach?

Sakura finally decided to speak up and said, "So, how about that curry, huh?" She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug in.

Lee nodded, following her lead to drop the embarrassing subject.

As soon as the curry hit her tongue her taste buds cried out from the heat. With tears in her eyes she forced herself to swallow before immediately chugging her tea to soothe her burning throat. She looked up to see Lee contently eating his curry with not so much as a wince from the incredible spiciness. Sakura stared at him in disbelief.

_How is he human?_ Sakura thought to herself while picking at her food.

While they ate, Lee gulped down his food with the vigor of a starved man. Sakura on the other hand picked delicately at her curry, consciously taking chunks of rice on the sides of her plate that were covered in minimal curry. Even so, she still grimaced at the heat on her tongue. Spicy food just never agreed with her.

They chatted casually about things, keeping a friendly attitude. Sakura was not sure if Lee felt the same, but she could feel a bit of tension in the air after the chef's comment. They were sitting a bit stiffer than usual, eye contact wavering here and there. Was it _romantic_ tension, perhaps? Could she really blame the chef for getting the wrong idea? The two of them were dressed nicer, dining alone together. Even outside of this curry shop they spent just about every day together. Anyone could get the wrong idea.

While Lee chatted excitedly away about a new taijutsu move he wanted to show her, Sakura's mind pondered the what-if's. What if this _was_ a date? What if she _was_ dating Lee? She imagined he would be the corny type. Super affectionate, flowers, declarations of love; the whole nine yards. Sakura blushed toying with the idea of what it would be like. There was a time in her youth that she would have been horrified at the thought, but now, not so much. Through getting to know Lee the things that used to dislike about him have become oddly charming.

"-and that is how you... Sakura, are you okay?" Lee tilted his head curiously, his silky black hair shifting across his forehead. His warm eyes look intently into her own, hinting at concern, his expressive eyebrows raised.

Sakura blinked, looking at Lee. He offered her a soft, encouraging smile. "I-Yes, I'm perfectly alright," she insisted. "I was just thinking."

Lee's smile widened, eager. "Oh? What were you thinking about?"

"I...er..." Sakura stumbled on her words, before chuckling. "Nothing that you need to know, Lee," she teased.

Sakura could see his curiosity peak, his eyebrows raised inquisitively. But they soon lowered, as did his smile to a mock frown of indignation. "Okay, Sakura. It would be rude of me to pry. You may have your secrets."

Sakura giggled. It was certainly a secret best kept to herself.

She looked down at their plates. Lee's was empty while hers almost looked untouched. Lee's gaze followed hers, causing him to speak up. "Was the curry not to your liking?"

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm just not as hungry as I thought is all," Sakura said, waving off the comment.

Lee nodded, not looking entirely convinced. After paying and leaving the restaurant, Sakura's stomach grumbled loudly. She folded her arms across her stomach, mentally cursing it, and glanced at Lee, embarrassed. "Okay, maybe I lied. The curry was just a bit too hot for me. I'm actually not a big fan of spicy things."

Lee looked horrified. "Sakura, my sincerest apologies! If I knew that you did not like spicy food I would have not brought you to this place! You need not lie for my sake!"

"It's fine! I assure you! This is supposed to be a celebration for you, not me," Sakura said firmly.

Lee was not satisfied with that answer. "But we cannot go on until you hunger is sated! What type of food do you prefer?" Lee looked at her intensely, his thick eyebrows low on his brow to show he was very serious. He was not going to back down.

"Well... I like sweet things, like dango," Sakura suggested.

"Then we shall find a dango stall!" Lee declared. "Come, Sakura! I know of one! We can make it before they close for the evening!"

Lee grabbed Sakura by the arm and began marching off downtown, determined. Sakura stumbled a bit, not quite expecting to be dragged along, but once she regained her footing after a step she giggled as Lee led her.

"Ah! There it is!" Lee exclaimed, shielding his eyes from the setting sun while looking ahead.

Sakura squinted. It was a dango stall she did not recognize, with a cute bear mascot on the welcome sign. "Is that place new? I don't think I've seen it before."

"It has been here for a few weeks," Lee said, nodding his head. "They have a signature dango you must try, Sakura! It is very popular."

"You have my attention," Sakura chuckled.

Lee smiled widely in response.

There were only a few people lingering around the stall since the dinner rush was over. The stall owner was an older woman with her back turned, working on the dough. The two of them sat on available stools in front of the stall. Sakura and Lee's shoulders were left brushing lightly against each other; the seating arrangement was made dense to fit as many potential customers as possible.

Lee grabbed the attention of the stall owner and asked for two orders of their signature dango. The stall owner prepared the food in the back for a few minutes before returning to them two plates with three skewers each. Sakura gasped when she saw the dango. Each ball of dango was decorated to look like cute bears with round eyes and small, round ears. They were coated heavily in a thick, brown syrup.

"Lee, I don't think I've ever seen something edible that is so _cute_. I'm not sure if I can even eat them now," Sakura gushed, picking up a skewer to admire them.

Lee grinned widely, very pleased with her reaction, as he handed money to the stall keeper. Before Sakura could protest he said, "Please, Sakura, I insist. This is both a thank you for training me so diligently as well as putting up with the curry."

Sakura laughed. "Alright, you win," she said, taking a delicate bite of the dango. Her face lit up with the sweet flavor. "Wow, this is_ so_ good!"

"I am both relieved and happy that you like it!" Lee said as he took a bite of his own dango.

"I am surprised you have room for dango after all that curry you ate, though, who am I kidding," she snickered, playfully nudging his shoulder with her own. "Men's stomachs are bottomless, without exception."

Lee blinked at the small sign of physical affection before recovering, smiling bigger. "I cannot refute that. I am, after all, a prime example of a man! Youthful! Hot-blooded! Handsome! Strong! A large stomach is needed to give me enough energy to be able to be all of these things at once!" Lee shook his fist passionately during his speech before turning to Sakura and giving her a thumbs up and a sparking, confident grin.

Sakura stared at him for a moment, giving him an odd look, before bursting out laughing, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"S-Sakura! What is so funny?" Lee asked, alarmed and confused.

Sakura calmed herself down and wiped the tears from her eyes before answering. "You. How does someone as ridiculous but endearing as you even exist?"

A redness crept up Lee's face. The smile returned, but it was sheepish. His eyes drifted shyly down to his lap before returning to Sakura. "You... like how I am?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Mmhmm," Sakura nodded, smiling warmly at him. "You're not like the other shinobi. You embrace your eccentricities wholeheartedly with unrivaled genuineness. And... you're sweet, just like this dango," she said lightheartedly before taking another bite.

"It... it means a lot to hear that from you," Lee said before nervously chuckling, "Usually Tenten will just chastise me."

Sakura could shamefully admit that Tenten's behavior is not unlike how she used to treat Naruto when they were younger. It was from a time when she was judgmental and not as open to accepting others that were different. She liked to think that was different now thanks to the maturity she has gained with age. Lee had definitely been one lesson learned after their first Chunnin Exams that even the odd ones were worthy of respect. "Well, good thing you're here with me then," Sakura winked playfully.

Lee studied her a moment, his eyes soft. "Indeed, I am a very lucky man."

They were disturbed by the stall owner approaching them from her counter. "I'm closing for the night. You're welcome to sit and finish but I'm turning off the lights," she said plainly, looking between the two shinobi and the other remaining customers that were seated.

"Thank you," Sakura nodded in gratitude. "Have a nice evening!"

The stall owner smiled. "You too, young lady," she said before turning around to get ready for closing.

Sakura turned back to Lee. "Looks like we're still both eating through our dango, so I think we can sit and finish them here. I'm not too worried about the dark. Like the civilians like to say, we shinobi have night vision," she joked.

Lee chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Indeed! Even so, the-"

Suddenly, Lee lurched forward towards Sakura, his eyes wide, as his skewer of dango he was holding went into Sakura's hair and stuck there. Lee froze. Sakura froze. She stared at him in shock with a small gasp, processing what just happened. Lee's wide eyes darted from the dango to her face, his mouth agape, absolutely mortified. Next to Lee, a heavy set civilian had stood up from his seat and was leaving, muttering a quiet "sorry".

Lee suddenly remembered how to speak, his mouth running at a million miles per minute as his face turned red. "M-My s-sincerest apologies, Sakura! I did not mean to - it j-just - I-I was not being careful! Please forgive me! J-Just let me - I can fix this!" he stuttered, his voice weak, as his hands twitched near the half-eaten dango hanging from her hair, uncertain.

Sakura has half tempted to yell after the man who had carelessly shoved Lee but he was already long gone. She took a deep breath, calming herself, before she said, "Lee, it's okay! It wasn't your fault," she grimaced. Lee did not look convinced, his face still painted with guilt. "Don't worry, I can take care of it." She reached gave the dango skewer a tug, but she only winced as it tugged on her hair, barely budging.

Sakura looked at Lee seeing the same realization on his face as on hers, as though they wordlessly shared the same thought: 'oh no, it's stuck'.

Lee whipped around, his eyes locking on the stall owner who was just about ready to leave. "M-Ma'am! Before you go, could we please have water and napkins?"

The stall owner glanced back at the two of them, realizing what just happened. "My, my. Not again." After a few moments of digging she came back with a big cup of water and a large bunch of napkins and placed them on the counter. "I'm starting to think I need to change the syrup recipe," she sighed.

"T-Thank you!" Lee said gratefully.

The stall owner nodded before leaving, not before turning out the lights, leaving Lee and Sakura with just the dim street lights and decorative lanterns hung up from the nearby restaurants and shops to light their faces.

Lee dabbed a napkin in the water before he swiveled on his seat towards Sakura. He looked at her, hesitant, as though waiting for permission.

Sakura studied him for only a moment, deciding it was endearing to see how flustered and panicked he was in this situation. She let out a small giggle, smiling. "Go ahead," she said, bowing her head slightly to make it easier for him.

A flash of relief spread across Lee's face, perhaps thankful that he was allowed to right his mistake, or because her demeanor lightened. Lee leaned forward and brought his hands to her hair. He began to switch off between dabbing her hair stuck with syrup with the napkin and pulling strands off of the sticky dango.

Lee tugged too hard on a hair strand causing Sakura to wince and let out an "ow!"

Lee's hands recoiled immediately. "I am so sorry, Sakura! I did not mean to hurt you!"

"It's okay Lee," Sakura assured, trying to ease his guilt. "It's just this damn dango has_ really_ tangled itself well in my hair."

"I'll be a bit more careful," Lee said, bringing his hands in once more. This time he went slower and more gently, conscious of every strand of hair. His brow was slightly wrinkled in concentration as he had his full attention on her hair. His face had finally relaxed as he seemed distracted from his guilt by the delicate task at hand.

Sakura watched him work for a moment, before realizing how close his face was to hers. He was about a foot away, as was needed to work on her hair in the dim light. He had scooted forward in his seat to get nearer, which left him closer in her personal space than she was used to. Yes, training did get them up close, but it just was not the same. This was more... intimate, especially with them being alone in the dim light. She suddenly became very aware of their breathing. Lee's chest rising and falling, slow and steady. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, before she forced herself back to a normal breathing pattern.

"Thank you," she said. "This would have been a hassle to try and get it out myself. I would probably have to go home and suffer weird looks so I could do this properly in front of a mirror." Sakura let out a light laugh imaging how silly she looked.

Lee glanced at her for a moment before his gaze returned to her hair. An amused smile graced his lips. "I am more than happy to be of assistance." There was a pause as he thought, before he continued. "But, I am sincerely sorry that the food tonight has not been very cooperative with you. I accept the blame for picking these spots myself."

"Nonsense," Sakura said. "That isn't your fault at all. Plus, tonight is supposed to be about you and your success. As long as you're having a good time, that's what matters."

"I cannot say I am having a good time unless I know you are too."

Sakura giggled, feeling warmth spread to her cheeks. "Okay, yes, despite the food mishaps I have been having a good time."

Lee's eyes lit up as he glanced at her once again, and the smile on his face spread wide. "Good. Then I am having a good time. Despite the mishaps, of course."

_He's cute,_ Sakura suddenly thought. His silky black hair framed his face nicely. His dark eyes were always so warm and open. And his smile, the brightest feature on his face, always seemed so genuine and inviting. Even his bold eyebrows, Sakura decided, worked well for his face. They were the key to his expressiveness, and they added a certain masculine quality to his face.

It felt strange to admit that. When Sakura first met him she was disgusted at his appearance. It was odd to think how that has changed. But, genin Sakura was narrow minded and only had one opinion of what was considered attractive - the features Sasuke had. Now, as a jonin, she liked to think she was more open minded. It did not trouble Sakura to admit she thought Lee was kind of cute. Being married did not mean she could not see handsomeness or beauty in others when she saw it. The important part was not to act on it, or let it become full-blown attraction.

Lee continued after a pause, interrupting Sakura from her thoughts. His voice lowered, now soft. "Sakura... I really do wish to express my deepest gratitude for teaching me how to dispel genjutsu. I would have never have come so far without your help. It means a lot to me that you have been willing to sacrifice large portions of your day just to teach me, especially with how long it has taken."

"It's my pleasure," Sakura responded, her voice low to match his. There was no need to talk loud with the small distance between them after all. "Training with you is my favorite part of the day. I always look forward to it. It's made me a happier person, I think."

Lee seemed to pause for a moment, considering her response. His shoulders then relaxed, and his features softened. "I am glad."

Sakura's eyes studied him, wondering what he was thinking at that moment. There was something so soft and gentle about his eyes that drew her in to them. "I really... hope it helps you on your goal to become a jonin. You certainly deserve the rank despite what limitations you have."

"Thank you, Sakura. I... hope so too. I want nothing more than to be able to prove myself, after all." Lee then glanced at her again. "If I may ask... do you also have a goal you are currently striving for?"

Sakura pondered this for moment. Right now she wanted to find out what Sasuke was up to. She wanted to fix her marriage. Those were private, personal goals; not ones she was willing to share. For ones that would better her as a person, as Lee's goal was, she wasn't sure. She found herself lost in the monotony of work at the hospital after everything had settled down after the war, living day by day. "I'm... I'm not sure yet," Sakura replied, a hint of melancholy and shame in her voice. "I need to find a new, concrete goal to strive towards. I'm always willing to better myself as a kunoichi, but I have not set myself any goals. Some kunoichi I am, huh?"

Lee paused his work on her hair to look at her directly now, his eyebrows low on his brow, his eyes serious. "You are the prime example of a kunoichi. I bet young girls at the Academy tell others they want to be just you when they become full-fledged shinobi, just like they used to say about Lady Tsunade. You do not need a definitive goal at all times in order to be great."

Sakura blushed, glancing away from his gaze shyly. She meant it partly as a self-deprecating joke, but the intense way Lee was looking at her threw her off. "Perhaps you're right, Lee. I have accomplished a lot as a shinobi. I need to stop being so unnecessarily critical of myself. Just give me some time to find a new goal. Once I find it, I will be sure to share it with you." Sakura's eyes returned to Lee's, now confident.

Lee's features softened, and he smiled warmly as he returned to her hair. His eyes suddenly brightened as he suddenly pulled off the dango skewer off her head. "Ah-ha!" It was covered in a few strands of pink hair.

Sakura gasped gleefully. "Oh my gosh, it's finally out! Thank you!" She patted down her head where the dango once was, but she pulled her hand away in disgust as syrup stuck to her hand, her giddy mood immediately dampened. "Ugh..."

Lee put the hairy dango down on his plate before turning towards her again, fingertips and napkin at her hair once more. "There is just a few crumbs of dango and syrup left. I can get it all out."

Sakura sighed. "Thank you, Lee. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"It is not a problem!" Lee was now soaking the napkins in water in order to rinse the syrup out, careful not to let too much water drip on Sakura's lap.

Sakura suddenly laughed. "I'm happy that at least I'll look less weird with my hair half drenched than having a whole skewer of bear-shaped dango stuck to my head."

Lee laughed too. "I think you could have pulled it off as some sort of new fashion statement! Imagine... in a month's time other youthful girls walking around town with hair accessories that look like dango, bears, or both!"

Sakura laughed again. "I have _no_ intention on starting any sort trend that way!"

Lee pulled back with one more swipe of the soaked napkin through her hair. "There! All done."

Sakura patted her hair again. It was wet, but no longer sticky. She let out a satisfied sigh. "Thank you... I think I'm done with dango for at least a month... okay, maybe more like a week. It is my favorite food after all."

Lee nodded sagely. "I understand. Even if curry was to wrong me, I would be back the next day."

Sakura glanced to the unfinished dango on her plate. She had eaten through most of it, but now she no longer hungered for it. "Lee, I'm not sure about you, but I've totally lost my appetite for dango."

Lee glanced at his plate. The only dango of his left was the one covered in pink hair. "That is quite alright! I think I have had plenty myself." He then straightened himself in his seat. "If you are done eating, perhaps you would like to go home?" His voice had a hint of hesitance, as though he did not want to say the words himself.

Sakura's heart seemed to sink a bit at the suggestion of them ending their evening together. Sakura bit her lip, looking at Lee. She felt a warmness while in his presence, one that she did not want to give up for the night just yet, and have to return to her quiet, lonely home. "Maybe... if you don't mind, we could wander around downtown for a bit? I don't think I'm ready to go home just yet."

Lee blinked, surprised, which turned to enthusiasm. "Oh! Of course! I would be more than happy to! More time in your presence is always welcome!"

Sakura grinned as she stood up from her seat, Lee following suit.

Sakura and Lee strolled downtown side by side, following the trail of decorative lights from late-opened restaurants and shops. Their conversations had taken a playful, lighthearted turn; causing their laughter to fill up the streets. Sakura meanwhile admired the colors of all the decorative lighting, creating an atmosphere all its own. She would walk home often through downtown after work when it was already dark, but her eyes were always at her feet. Now, it felt like she was seeing it properly for the first time... perhaps thanks to Lee.

"-and after that happened, well, you know the rest," Lee chuckled.

"Yes, I remember when I stumbled across you during our second Chunnin Exams," Sakura giggled. "You were stuck alone, hanging upside down in a trap, covered head-to-toe in smelly mud. I didn't recognize you until you called out to me."

"How grateful I was that you came by when you did and saved me! I would have been a goner!" Lee exclaimed dramatically. "And to top it off you were so kind to let me keep my scroll!"

"I was only returning the favor you did for me during our first Chunnin Exams," Sakura said, playfully nudging him.

Lee laughed.

Sakura's attention was suddenly drawn to a tree in front of a nondescript shop. The tree had a spiral of green lights up its trunk to its branches, with a large array of intricate ornaments, charms, and chimes, covered in words and symbols, hanging from it. The breeze caused them to sway and clink together.

Sakura stopped. "Why is that tree covered head-to-toe like that?"

Lee stopped beside her, glancing over at the tree. "That tree is an unofficial memorial to those lost during the war," Lee said, his voice losing the playful edge it carried just moments ago. "Many like hanging unique items that remind them of who they lost. It allows the lost to stand out a bit more to show others who that person was, rather than just blending in the list of names on the official memorial wall on the edge of town."

Sakura saw that there was a young girl with a chime in hand, stubbornly grasping at a branch she had no hope of reaching. "I'll be right back," Sakura said as she approached the girl. Now that Sakura was closer to the tree she could see each ornament had names, family symbols, and prayers across them. The girl's back was turned to Sakura. Sakura knelt so she was at eye-level with the girl. "Excuse me," she said sweetly, trying not to alarm the girl.

The girl whipped around and blinked, not expecting someone to have snuck up on her. "Yes?"

"It looks like you're having a hard time getting that chime on the tree. Do you me to help?" Sakura smiled.

The girl pouted, handing over the chime. "I'm not tall enough yet to reach the branch I want. I want that spot right there!" The girl pointed at a much higher branch this time, but within Sakura's height.

"Okay, I can do that for you."

As Sakura worked on tying the chime, the girl blabbed. "That chime is for Uncle Banri. He was a shinobi. He used to bring me and my brother sweets all the time when he came over."

"Oh? Sounds like he was a great man."

The girl nodded. "Please don't tell on me to my mom and dad for being out late. I forgot to hang it up on my way back from the Academy and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow. Someone could've stolen Uncle Banri's spot."

"Well, I think now he's got one of the best spots. Everyone can see his chime from here."

"You're right," the girl grinned. "Thank you, miss!" The girl bowed her head before running off.

Sakura smiled as she watched the girl leave. When she turned around Lee was standing where she left him, waiting for her.

Sakura felt her insides warm at the way he looked at her so fondly. Sakura walked towards him. Just a small distraction from their night wandering downtown. Just about when she was going to reach him, she felt her foot catch on a rock. She tried to regain her balance, but could not find her footing on the uneven road, especially with her civilian shoes. She let out a small yelp as she fell.

Lee immediately took a step forward and caught her as she fell into his sturdy chest. Sakura blinked in surprise. Lee's warm hands were firmly around her upper arms, holding her securely. She steadied herself on her feet using his chest as support before looking up at him, wet hair flopped in her face in a mess. He looked down at her with warm, half-lidded eyes, letting out a sigh of relief followed by an affectionate grin. Sakura returned the grin, a wordless thank you. Lee's shoulders relaxed as he took one hand and carefully tucked her wet hair behind her ear.

As they lingered a few seconds, Sakura felt confusing butterflies in her stomach as her breath caught her throat. Something about how the dim lighting hit Lee's face brought out certain handsomeness in his features that made Sakura's heart unexpectedly flutter. Maybe it was how the lighting brought out the shape of his jaw and cheekbones when he smiled, or how his dark eyes reflected the light.

Lee's remaining hand suddenly trailed off her arm and Sakura pulled her hands from his chest, taking a step back.

"The... path needs a little smoothing out, I think," Sakura said, laughing shyly, shifting her gaze away from his momentarily.

Lee chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, yes, I think so too."

Sakura felt a weird energy between Lee and her. It felt... comfortable, but it made her nervous as well. _What are these feelings?_ Sakura thought. _Could they be...?_

"Whore!" a voice shouted from across the street, disturbing the two shinobi.

Sakura's head swung around towards the voice. It was a man clutching a bottle in one hand, wobbling, looking right at her.

Sakura stared at him, bewildered for a moment, before realizing he directed that towards her. "_What did you say?_" she said, her voice rising, feeling the anger begin to simmer.

The man wobbled forward. "I called you a whore!"

Sakura took a few steps forward, and shook her fist. "Who the hell do you think you're calling a whore, you drunk bastard!" she yelled, letting the anger flow. If this guy did not quit she would make him regret those words fast.

"You're just an _Uchiha _whore!" the man slurred. "How much longer do we have of peace until you start pumping out unstable Uchihas for that_ traitor _like some sort of broodmare, huh?!"

Sakura immediately froze, feeling like she was just punched to the gut. The anger she had drained out of her all at once.

The man took one last swig of the bottle and then chucked it at her.

Lee caught it mid-air with a skillful motion of his hand before it hit Sakura. He tossed it aside. A fierce scowl was on his face. "Apologize to her."

The man spat on the ground in response before turning to leave.

With just a blur, Lee had cut the distance between them and was clutching tightly on the man's shoulder. "You do not insult a woman like that and just walk away," Lee said coldly.

"Let go of me!" The man demanded, trying to jerk away from Lee's grip before throwing a punch at Lee's face.

Lee effortlessly caught the fist in his free hand. "As I just said, I _suggest_ you apologize to her." Lee's grip tightened on the man's hand until a slight crunch was heard.

The man howled, trying to pull away from Lee's effortless iron grip. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said that! I didn't mean it! Honest! Please forgive me!" the man babbled. "I'll never say anything like that ever again!"

Lee released his grip and the man wasted no time stumbling away, clutching his injured hand. Lee looked over to shoulder to Sakura with a deep frown.

Sakura averted her gaze to the ground as soon as he looked at her. Her arms were folded across her chest tightly, hugging herself. Feelings of dejection and shame swirled inside of her. Why? Why every time problem that had to do with Sasuke came up she immediately recoiled inward, unable to address the problem herself? Despite her insistence that she would change? She was not supposed to still be a scared genin girl anymore. She bit back tears. She did not want Lee to see her cry.

"Sakura...?" Lee approached her carefully, reaching out a hand to her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Before Lee could touch her Sakura took a step back and turned her back to him so he could not see her face. "Sorry... Lee, tonight was fun, but... I gotta go," she said with a hitch in her voice.

"But, Sakura..."

"...I just... wish things could be more like the fairy tales, y'know? Where you get to live together happily ever after. But that's never the case, is it? There's always problems; it's naive to think there wouldn't be any. And while Sasuke is gone I am left alone with Konoha's scorn towards him. Sometimes I feel like the same scared, genin girl I was before. Always alone and wondering... I just wish..." Sakura trailed off, her voice trembling.

"Sakura, wait..."

She then took a breath, and said with finality, "Goodnight, Lee," before striding hastily forward.

Before she got far Lee grabbed her arm, stopping her. His grip was gentle. "Sakura, do not go," he pleaded. Sakura paused, distraught on whether to heed his request or not. "_Please..._" he stressed, his voice desperate.

Sakura took in a deep breath, before turning around, looking directly at Lee, her eyes wet and vulnerable. "What do you want, Lee?"

Lee searched her eyes, troubled, his eyebrows furrowed. "I... please do not go just yet. I do not want to see you leave like this. Perhaps this time I may request we do one more thing for the night?"

Sakura simply shrugged as she struggled to maintain control of her tears. "...Like what?"

"Let me show you. I hope... it might make you feel better."

Sakura looked at him, seeing how desperately he wanted to reach out to her and help, and felt her strong desire to hide herself wither away. "Okay," she said quietly.

Lee look relieved at her answer. He wrapped an arm around her back, guiding her down a side road, away from the downtown lights, to the edge of Konoha. Once they reached the end of the street, Lee led them off into the bordering forest.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked.

"You'll see."

The woods got thicker for a moment until it was hard to see; the moonlight barely reaching the forest floor through the thick leaves above. There was then a small opening, lit by the moonlight. In the center was various beat-up, makeshift dummies and targets arranged here and there, some with a spare kunai or shuriken sticking out of them. The surrounding trees and boulders were covered in scuff marks, and a few recently uprooted trees lay collapsed on the forest floor.

"What's this?" Sakura said.

"A private place where I can let off steam," Lee said, dropping his arm that was wrapped around her back. He strode up to one of the dummies and gave it a solid chakra-filled punch, letting out a shout. The dummy uprooted from the ground and went soaring, thudding hard against a tree before sinking to the ground. Lee looked over his shoulder at her, with an encouraging, yet unsure grin. "See? I can be as loud and destructive as I want and no one will disturb me." When Sakura looked at him uncertain, he motioned to the next dummy. "Go ahead. Give it a try."

Sakura walked up the nearest dummy slowly, feeling Lee's eyes on her. She stared at the dummy for a moment, imaging that it was the drunk man. Remembering his words made her tense up for a moment, but then she remembered the swirling frustration and anger she held. She punched the dummy in the gut. It wobbled on its support. Mustering up confidence, she punched it harder, this time it shook violently. She punched it a third time with chakra, letting out a frustrated yell. The dummy splintered, straw bursting from its insides. The fourth punch was an uppercut, filled with an excessive amount of chakra focused at her knuckles. The dummy went soaring up into the treetops, bursting, raining straw on her and Lee.

It felt good. It felt like every punch was releasing pent up anger, frustration, and pain... and she was just getting started.

Sakura whipped around and delivered another punch to the next nearest dummy, thinking of Naruto - her former teammate - unwilling to help alleviate her concerns, unwilling to trust her. The dummy immediately disintegrated into straw and scrap.

It was not enough.

Sakura let out a louder yell, delivering the next punch to a trunk of a nearby tree. The wood splintered. She thought of Sasuke keeping her in the dark, always pushing her away, yet keeping her just close enough. She punched the tree again, this time it toppled backwards with a shuddering crash.

She wasn't done.

She punched the nearest boulder, hearing it crack. She thought to herself, her unkept promises to herself to improve her marriage, to stand up to Sasuke, to stop moping and _do_ something. She let out a flurry of punches, the louder cracks in the rock music to her ears until the rock crumbled in on itself.

Sakura spent what felt like forever punching and shouting, letting out all the anger and frustration that she had bottled up in her for too long out on the dummies and trees. At one point when she started punching she started feeling raw pain on her knuckles. She was being careless with her chakra, letting it flow out of her system sloppily. She was losing chakra fast, and did not care to shield her fists in chakra properly to protect herself. The pain in her fists felt good, in a way. Cathartic, perhaps.

When she went for another punch, welling up reserves of chakra in her fists, she suddenly felt faint and stopped, instead leaning onto the tree for balance. She panted heavily, sweat dripping down her forehead, as she tried to focus on keeping her feet grounded. Even if she felt lightheaded and weak, she felt odd... she felt, at that moment, free.

"...Sakura?" Lee piped up, alarmed. He had wisely stood aside, watching Sakura's rampage from a distance.

Sakura let out a deep, contented sigh, her shoulders slackened. She turned around to look at Lee with the most relaxed and relieved smile wide across her face. A smile she felt like she had not had in years. "I'm fine, Lee," Sakura said, her voice hoarse from the shouting. She then laughed lightheartedly, "In fact, I feel amazing!"

Sakura's body felt heavy and sore. She dragged her feet to the nearest downed tree and took a seat on its trunk, letting out another sigh, resting her elbows on her knees, letting her head hang down. She felt the most relaxed she had ever been in years, pent up frustration gone for at least the moment. She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the peaceful sound of crickets chirping and the breeze through the trees. Sakura heard Lee's footsteps as he approached and sat beside her. Sakura raised her head and smiled at him.

"Did that help?" Lee asked, studying her.

"Yes... yes it did."

Lee's featured relaxed and he smiled at her, relieved. "I am glad."

Lee's eyes wandered to the training grounds, Sakura's eyes following. She saw the destruction she left - crumbled boulders, scraps of dummies, splintered and collapsed trees - and suddenly felt guilty. "I'm... sorry that I ruined your training ground. I'll be sure to replace those dummies for you."

Lee shrugged. "You need not bother. I always expect them to get destroyed."

Sakura felt immense gratitude that Lee had insisted on bringing her here rather than letting her leave to mope at home. "...Thank you, Lee. I really needed that. I've needed that for a long time."

Lee gave her a thumbs up and a smile. "Anytime. It always helps me, so I was hoping it would help you too. I am glad that it did."

"Me too."

The clouds drifted past the moon, allowing the full intensity of the moonlight to shine over them through a gap in the trees. Sakura noticed that Lee had a few pieces of straw on his shirt, and some sticking out of his hair. He looked silly sitting there unknowing, with his sweet smile. She giggled, plucking the few pieces from his hair. Lee blinked, realizing what she was doing and then in response, reached and plucked even more straw from her hair.

"Today is just not a good hair day for me," Sakura laughed.

"It seems not," Lee chuckled with her, but when Sakura began dusting off her skirt from straw, Lee let out a small gasp. "Sakura, your hands!"

It was then Sakura noticed that her knuckles were scraped and bloody, and suddenly remembered that they stung. "Oh, don't worry about this. I wasn't being careful with my chakra."

"You should heal them," Lee insisted.

"I would, but I'm pretty much all out of chakra," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "If I use the small amount I have left I think I'd faint."

Lee stood up and strode over to a large, nondescript rock near the base of a tree. He lifted it, revealing several rolls of bandages hidden in its core. A false rock. Lee grabbed one of the rolls and sat back besides Sakura. He offered one of his hands. "May I?"

Sakura rested one of her bloodied hands on his. She watched quietly as Lee wrapped up her hand quickly and skillfully. Sakura was not surprised considering he regularly wrapped his own hands. Today he was not wearing any bandages; Sakura could see the numerous raised, dark scars littering his hands. When Lee finished with her first hand Sakura flexed it, surprised at how much dexterity she had despite the layers of bandages. Sakura offered him the other hand, and he began wrapping it up as well, carefully minding the wounds.

As Lee wrapped her hand, Sakura studied him. Like Sasuke, Lee had dark eyes and hair, but that was where the similarities ended. Sasuke's dark eyes were cold and calculating, while Lee's were warm and welcoming. Sasuke's mouth was always in a frown or scowl while Lee's in a smile or toothy grin. Sasuke was distant and cynical; Lee was friendly and optimistic. Around Sasuke she always felt uncertain, and in some strange way, alone; but around Lee she felt secure, as though he would always be there for her.

When Lee finished Sakura smiled wide at him. "Thank you, Lee."

Lee beamed at her.

Lee was Sasuke's polar opposite, and Sakura decided she liked it that way.

* * *

**A/N:** I feel so weird describing Japanese food I have no familiarity with. Makes me feel like such a weeb but I'm not going to have them eat burgers and fries, haha. And yes, I know the tripping and having the guy catch the girl trope is so cliche. But please let me have this. I love cheesy romance tropes with a passion. I can't help myself.

I _really_ wanted to write some of this from Lee's perspective (because I absolutely love writing from his perspective) but I felt Sakura's perspective was the more important one here sadly. I think next chapter will be a Lee perspective one though! :) I know where I'm going for the next chapter, but after that I need to do some refinement of my plans for this story. I do already know what the climax and ending is, but, after reviewing my notes after all this time, I see a lot of areas that need some beefing up with improvements. Right now most of the focus has been on the slowburn build up of Lee and Sakura's relationship, but soon there will be a larger focus on the plot going on more in the background.

As always, I appreciate you all dearly, and I'm always happy to hear that my fic is being enjoyed. I apologize for having to wait until so long for this chapter. Be assured despite delays, it is my goal to finish this fic. It is, after all, a declaration of love to my oldest OTP, and it's also something to finally give back to the small but sweet Leesaku fandom. Until next time!


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